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STATE   BUILDERS 


Copyright,  /goo,  by  Lamson  Studio 
ROAD    THROUGH    CRAWFORD    NOTCH,    WHITE    MOUNTAINS 


• 


STATE  BUILDERS 

AN  ILLUSTRATED  HISTORICAL  AND 

BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD  OF  THE 

STATE  OF  NEW  HAMPSHIRE 


AT  THE  BEGINNING  OF  THE 
TWENTIETH  CENTURY 

BY  THE  STATE   BUILDERS    PUBLISHING   COMPANY 

GEORGE    FRANKLYN  WILLEY 

EDITOR 


Copyright,  SQOJ,  by 
GEORGE  FRANKLYN  WILLEY 


Printed,  October,  1903 


The  Hetntzemann  Press,  Boston,  Mass. 


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2061558 


INTRODUCTION 

BY  CHARLES  R.  CORNING 

Judge  of  Probate,  Merrimack  County  ;  Mayor  of  Concord,  1903 

IF  "good  wine  needs  no  bush,"  so  it  may  be  said  that  a  good 
book  needs  no  preface.  And  yet,  the  somewhat  unique 
plan  and  purpose  of  this  volume  merit  a  brief  introductory. 
State  Builders  is  not  only  a  carefully  prepared  biography  of  New 
Hampshire  men,  but  it  presents  the  political,  industrial  and  edu- 
cational history  of  our  State  as  well.  Few  works  of  this  charac- 
ter have  been  prepared  with  greater  care  and  discrimination  than 
State  Builders.  Each  chapter  is  the  finished  production  of  a 
writer  especially  competent  and  adapted  to  treat  the  particular 
subject  assigned  him,  thereby  giving  to  the  work  a  character  and 
authority  decidedly  unusual.  Furthermore,  the  biographical  fea- 
tures of  the  book  form  a  convenient,  authentic  and  exceedingly 
valuable  collection  of  reference,  and  supplies  a  distinctive  want 
in  the  personal  history  of  the  State.  Acceptable  as  State  Build- 
ers is  at  the  present  time,  its  value  and  usefulness  are  certain 
to  increase  with  every  year  and  form  an  important  part  of  New 
Hampshire's  literary  history. 

State  Builders  is  wholly  a  New  Hampshire  biographical-his- 
torical undertaking  conceived  and  completed  by  New  Hampshire 
men,  and  dedicated  to  those  sons  of  the  State,  living  or  dead, 
whose  achievements  have  done  so  much  to  make  the  Granite 
State  the  sturdy  and  prosperous  Commonwealth  that  she  is.  It 
is  always  pleasant  to  commend  a  book ;  but  when  a  book,  as  in 
this  instance,  possesses  positive  merits  of  an  enduring  nature  then 
commendation  becomes  a  most  agreeable  duty. 


CONTENTS. 

PAGE 
AN  OUTLINE  OF  NEW  HAMPSHIRE  HISTORY i 

HON.  ALBERT  STILLMAN  BATCHELLOR,  A.M. 

EDUCATION  IN  NEW  HAMPSHIRE «...       60 

JAMES  H.  FASSETT,  B.A. 

ECCLESIASTICAL 97 

JOHN  ALDEN. 

AGRICULTURE  OF  NEW  HAMPSHIRE  .     . 113 

NAHUM  J.  BACHELDER. 

THE  BENCH  AND  BAR  OF  NEW  HAMPSHIRE 134 

HOSEA  W.  PARKER. 

NOTES  ON  THE  MEDICAL  PROFESSION  OF  NEW  HAMPSHIRE     151 
IRVING  A.  WATSON,  A.M.,  M.D. 

NEW  HAMPSHIRE  SAVINGS  BANKS 172 

JAMES  O.  LYFORD. 

INDUSTRIAL  NEW  HAMPSHIRE 182 

G.  A.  CHENEY. 

COMMERCIAL  NEW  HAMPSHIRE 193 

G.  A.  CHENEY. 


BIOGRAPHIES 

PAGE  PAGE 

Nahum  J.  Bachelder 201  Hiram  A.  Tuttle  ...'...  223 

Edward  Nathan  Pearson    .     .     .     203              Frank  P.  Carpenter 225 

Jacob  H.  Gallinger 205  Mary  Baker  G.  Eddy     ....  227 

Henry  E.  Burnham 208             Moody  Currier 243 

Winston  Churchill 210              Mrs.  Moody  Currier 245 

Chester  B.  Jordan 212              Augustus  D.  Ayling 247 

Frank  West  Rollins 214  General  Charles  Williams .     .     .  248 

George  A.  Ramsdell 216             Henry  M.  Baker 250 

Rt.  Rev.  Denis  M.  Bradley     .     .     218             Charles  E.  Staniels 252 

John  Bt  Smith 220              Reuben  H.  Cheney 256 


CONTENTS 


PAGE 

Benjamin  Franklin  Prescott  .  .  259 
Rt.  Rev. William  Woodruff  Miles, 

D.D 261 

John  M.  Hunt 263 

Frank  S.  Streeter 266 

Colonel  William  S.  Pillsbury .  .  269 

Colonel  Francis  W.  Parker  .  .  273 

Charles  Robert  Corning  .  .  .  275 

Horace  P.  Watts 277 

Mary  Alice  Watts 280 

Henry  French  Hollis  ....  282 

John  H.  Albin 284 

John  Hosley 286 

Alice  M.  M.  Chesley,  M.D.  .  .  288 

Chancey  Adams,  M.D 290 

Charles  H.  Sawyer 294 

Jane  Elizabeth  Hoyt,  M.D.  .  .  296 

Charles  T.  Means 299 

Harry  Gene  Sargent  ....  301 

Eugene  F.  McQuesten,  M.D.  .  304 

James  E.  Klock 306 

Orlando  B.  Douglas,  M.D.  .  .  308 

John  McLane 311 

Channing  Folsom 313 

Roger  G.  Sullivan 315 

Hermon  K.  Sherburne,  D.O.  .  .  317 

Alonzo  Elliott 321 

Durham  College 323 

Charles  Francis  Piper  ....  329 

Ferdinand  A.  Stillings,  M.D.  .  331 

Rev.  D.  C.  Babcock,  D.D.  .  .  334 
William  Henry  Weed  Hinds, 

M.D 337 

Charles  Rumford  Walker  .  .  .  338 

Joseph  E.  A  Lanouette,  M.D.  .  340 

John  C.  French 342 

Rev.  Lorin  Webster 344 

Allen  N.  Clapp 346 

Charles  E.  Tilton 348 

"-\William  Jewett  Tucker  ...  350 

Frank  W.  Grafton,  M.D.  ...  352 

George  H.  Perkins'  Memorial  .  353 

George  H.  Perkins 354 

William  R.  Clough 356 

Edward  H.  Clough 358 

Augustus  H.  Stark 360 

Frederick  W.  Doring  ....  363 

-  William  H.  Rollins 365 

M.  E.  Kean,  M.D 367 


PAGE 

Ira  Joslin  Prouty,  M.D.     .     .     .  369 

William  H.  Nute,  M.D.     .    .     .  370 

F.  S.  Towle,  M.D 372 

E.  L.  Click 374 

Henry  De Wolfe  Carvelle,  M.D.  376 

Emil  Custer,  M.D 378 

Edward  L.  Custer 380 

^Joshua  Oilman  Hall 382 

William  Lawrence  Foster .     .    .  384 

William  T.  Cass 386 

Elmer  D.  Goodwin 389 

Charles  A.  Busiel 392 

Cyrus  A.  Sulloway 395 

Louis  Ashton  Thorp      ....  397 

Eli  Edwin  Graves,  M.D.     .     .     .  399 

Nathaniel  Everett  Martin .     .     .  401 

Henry  Robinson 403 

Horatio  K.  Libbey 407 

Lydia  A.  Scott 409 

John  H.  Neal,  M.D 413 

Captain  David  Wadsworth     .     .  415 

Edson  Hill 417 

Nathaniel  White 421 

Joseph  P.  Chatel 425 

George  M.  Clough 428 

Mrs.  Mary  F.  Berry 430 

John  Gault 433 

Daniel  J.  Daley 437 

Wallace  D.  Lovell 440 

Sherman  E.  Burroughs  ....  443 

J.  Homer  Edgerley 446 

George  A.  Marden 449 

Daniel  Walton  Gould    ....  454 

Charles  E.  Sleeper 457 

Thomas  Fellows  Clifford    .     .     .  460 

Edward  Giles  Leach       ....  462 

Frederick  E.  Potter,  M.D.      .     .  464 

Anson  Colby  Alexander,  M.D.    .  467 

Charles  S.  Collins 469 

John  N.  McClintock      ....  473 

Alfred  Randall  Evans    ....  476 

John  J.  Donahue 479 

John  H.  Roberts 482 

Edwin  G.  Eastman 483 

Ebenezer  Learned,  M.D.    .     .    .  485 

John  Willey 487 

Ira  H.  Adams,  M.D 489 

Samuel  B.  Tarrante 491 

George  Franklyn  Willey  494 


An  Outline  of  New  Hampshire  History 

By  HON.  ALBERT  STILLMAN  BATCHELLOR,  A.M. 

Editor  of  State  Papers 


John  Mason,  the  territorial  proprietor  of  New  Hamp- 
shire, was  the  promoter  of  its  earliest  settlements.  His 
efforts  contemplated  the  establishment  of  a  great  man- 
orial estate  of  which  he  and  his  successors  were  to  be 
the  actual  and  titular  heads.  This  design  failed  even- 
tually, not  because  Mason  and  those  who  succeeded  to 
his  rights  and  adopted  his  plans  were  not  powerful, 
persistent  and  well  sustained  by  the  home  government, 
but  because  that  style  and  theory  of  proprietorship  and 
the  form  of  government  upon  which  it  was,  from  the  very 
nature  of  things,  dependent,  could  not  thrive, — indeed 
could  not  survive  under  the  conditions  which  developed 
in  New  England. 

This  colony  occupied  a  unique  position  from  1622, 
the  year  when  Thomson's  indenture  was  drawn  and  the 
first  settlement  definitely  planned,  to  1641-1643,  when 
the  four  towns,  Portsmouth,  Dover,  Hampton  and 
Exeter,  each  an  independent  democracy,  became,  by 
their  own  choice,  constituent  parts  of  Massachusetts. 
This  was  the  first  union  with  the  Bay  colony.  It  was 


STATE  BUILDERS 

conditional  on  certain  important  privileges  and  guar- 
antees, accorded  to  the  four  towns  by  the  Massachusetts 
General  Court.  The  time  of  this  union,  1641-1679, 
constitutes  the  second  period  of ,  New  Hampshire  his- 
tory. It  is  in  a  large  measure  identical  with  that  of 
Massachusetts  Bay.  The  Masonian  heirs  succeeded  in 
1679,  by  influences  exerted  upon  the  home  government 
in  England,  in  the  establishment  of  a  separate  province 
for  the  four  frontier  towns,  then  occupying  a  little 
break  in  the  wilderness  along  the  coast  line  and  a  few 
miles  into  the  interior  between  Massachusetts  bay  and 
the  territory  of  Maine. 

John  Cutt,  a  man  of  the  people,  was  the  first  presi- 
dent. He  died  in  1681,  and  was  succeeded  by  his 
deputy,  Richard  Waldron.  Under  a  new  commission, 
Edward  Cranfield  held  office  from  1682  to  1686,  his 
deputy,  Walter  Barefoote,  having  been  the  acting  Gover- 
nor in  the  latter  part  of  the  period. 

The  four  towns  were  made  a  part  of  the  Dominion 
of  New  England  in  1686.  This  government,  under 
Dudley  and  Andros,  with  its  concomitants  of  abolished 
provincial  legislatures  and  other  measures  absolutely 
abhorrent  to  the  political  sense  of  a  large  majority  of 
the  people  of  New  England,  survived  only  three  years. 
The  four  New  Hampshire  towns,  from  the  spring  of 
1689  to  the  closing  half  of  the  winter  of  1689-90,  gov- 
erned themselves  in  the  independent  democratic  fashion 
of  the  first  period  of  their  history. 

A  second  union  with  Massachusetts  Bay  was  then  ef- 
fected, and  continued  during  a  period  of  two  years.  In 
1692  a  province  government  by  royal  commission  was  re- 
established over  the  four  towns.  The  course  of  events, 
with  this  unpretentious  province,  moved  on  through 
much  adversity  to  the  time  of  the  achievement  of  a  po- 
sition and  potency  among  the  American  dependencies  of 
the  mother  country,  in  which,  eighty-three  years  later, 


STATE  BUILDERS 

it  was  able  to  demand  independence  and  join  in  a  suc- 
cessful defiance  of  the  imperial  power  of  England. 

The  intervening  governments  between  1692  and  1775 
were  administered  by  Samuel  Allen,  Governor,  with 
John  Usher,  John  Hinckes  and  William  Partridge, 
Lieutenant  or  acting  Governors,  1692-1699;  the  Earl 
of  Bellomont  with  William  Partridge,  Lieutenant  Gov- 
ernor, 1699-1702,  the  Governor  dying  in  1701;  Joseph 
Dudley,  Governor,  with  William  Partridge,  John  Usher 
and  George  Vaughan,  Lieutenant  Governors,  1702- 
1716  (Eliseus  Buegess  having  been  appointed  Governor 
in  1715,  but  declining  the  office) ;  Samuel  Shute, 
Governor,  with  George  Vaughan  and  John  Wentworth, 
Lieutenant  Governors,  1716-1728;  William  Burnet,  gov- 
ernor, with  John  Wentworth,  Lieutenant  Governor, 
1728-1729;  Jonathan  Belcher,  Governor,  with  John 
Wentworth  and  David  Dunbar,  Lieutenant  Governors, 
1730-1741;  Benning  Wentworth,  Governor,  with  John 
Temple,  Lieutenant  Governor,  1741-1767;  John  Went- 
worth, Governor,  with  John  Temple,  Lieutenant  Gov- 
ernor, 1767-1775. 

Between  1675  and  1762,  the  people  of  New  Hamp- 
shire participated  in  six  wars  against  the  French  and 
Indians,  aggregating  thirty-eight  years. 

The  politics  of  New  Hampshire  in  the  Colonial 
period  largely  related  to  those  persistent-  and  irrepres- 
sible subjects,  the  Masonian  title  and  the  boundary  line 
against  Massachusetts. 

DARTMOUTH  COLLEGE. 

One  of  the  memorable  events  in  the  term  of  office 
of  John  Wentworth,  the  last  provincial  governor,  was 
the  founding  of  Dartmouth  College.  The  charter  was 
issued  in  1769,  and  the  beginning  effected  from  which 
a  securely  established  and  most  beneficent  institution  has 

3 


STATE  BUILDERS 

developed.  Whatever  may  be  said  of  the  efforts  of 
the  Earl  of  Dartmouth,  Gov.  Wentworth  and  others  in 
behalf  of  the  infant  institution, — and  for  this  the  pub- 
lic will  ever  remain  under  great  obligations  to  them, — 
the  undisputed  title  of  Founder  must  be  accorded  to 
Eleazer  Wheelock.  If  a  tablet  of  honor  for  our  state 
builders  shall  ever  be  erected,  there  can  be  no  dissent 
when  the  name  of  Dartmouth's  first  president  is  ac- 
corded high  place  in  such  a  symposium.  It  will  be 
within  the  province  of  the  historian  of  education  in 
New  Hampshire  to  give  Dartmouth  college  its  deserved 
setting  in  the  further  extension  of  this  work.  The  suc- 
cession of  presidents,  Eleazer  Wheelock,  1769,  John 
Wheelock,  1779,  Francis  Brown,  1815,  Daniel  Dana, 
1820,  Bennett  Tyler,  1822,  Nathan  Lord,  1828,  Asa 
Dodge  Smith,  1863,  Samuel  Colcord  Bartlett,  1877, 
William  Jewett  Tucker,  1893,  presents  a  group  of  hon- 
ored names,  and  the  mention  of  each  suggests  noble  ef- 
fort and  achievement  in  the  cause  of  education,  humanity 
and  progress  under  the  highest  standards.  \Vebster, 
Choate,  Chase,  and  Stevens  are  enrolled  with  the  sons 
of  Dartmouth  who,  now  constituting  a  loyal  fraternity, 
rejoice  together  in  the  present  strength  and  widening 
and  deepening  potency  of  their  alma  mater  in  her  mis- 
sion of  moulding  men  for  the  leadership  of  men. 

THE  REVOLUTIONARY  PERIOD  1774-1784. 

The  people  of  New  Hampshire  entered  upon  the 
active  stages  of  a  national  movement  for  independence 
with  deliberation  and  with  unanimity.  Perhaps  no  one 
of  the  colonies  was  so  free  of  the  so-called  loyalist  ele- 
ment as  was  this.  The  "association  test"  put  every 
man  to  the  book,  either  for  or  against  the  common 
cause.  The  record  of  signatures  in  nearly  all  the  towns 
is  preserved  and  the  names  of  those  who  dissented  or 

4 


STATE  BUILDERS 

refused  to  take  a  position  constitute  a  very  meagre  list. 
The  population  of  this  colony  in  1775  was  only  82,200. 
In  the  province  militia  establishment  were  thirteen  regi- 
ments of  foot  and  one  regiment  of  cavalry,  besides 
special  organizations  of  cadets  and  of  artillery.  As 
only  twelve  or  thirteen  years  had  intervened  between  the 
last  French  and  Indian  war  and  the  inauguration  of 
forcible  measures  on  the  part  of  New  Hampshire  by  the 
seizure  of  Fort  William  and  Mary  at  Portsmouth  in 

1774,  it  was  in  accordance  with  the  necessities  of  the 
case,  under  the  operation  of  existing  military  law,  that 
a  large  part  of  the  body  of  the  organized  militia  and  a 
still  larger  part  of  the  officers  were  veterans  who  had 
thoroughly  learned  the  science  of  war  in  that  intensely 
practical  school  of  seven  years  duration,  in  which  they 
were  associated  with  the  best  officers  and  soldiers   of 
England,  and  were  opposed  to  the  flower  of  the  army  of 
France. 

The  capture  of  the  powder  and  ammunition  of  Fort 
William  arid  Mary,  under  the  leadership  of  John  Lang- 
don  and  John  Sullivan,  was  the  first  overt  act  of  resistance 
in  which  organized  force  was  aggressively  employed 
against  a  military  organization  or  garrison  of  the  mother' 
country  in  New  Hampshire,  and  possibly  in  either  of  the 
colonies,  upon  the  inauguration  of  the  American  Revolu- 
tion.* The  powder  taken  on  this  occasion  later  supplied 
the  patriot  army  assembled  around  Boston,  and  became 
an  indispensable  and  historic  factor  in  the  battle  of 
Bunker  Hill. 

The  provincial  assembly  was  continued  in  New 
Hampshire  until  Governor  Went  worth's  departure  in 

1775.  A  succession  of  conventions,  beginning  July  21, 
1774,  finally  resulted  in  the  formal  organization  of  a 
legislative  body  on  a  full  representation  of  the  people, 
and  with  a  definite  purpose  of  establishing  a  new  state 
government.     The  importance  and  activity  of  the  old 

5 


STATE  BUILDERS 

assembly  diminished  as  that  of  the  successive  conventions 
was  augmented. 

The  passing  of  the  royal  authority  in  the  province 
was  with  very  little  commotion  and  comparatively  no 
manifestation  of  violence.  The  convention  which  met 
in  July,  1775,  ordered  a  reorganization  of  the  militia, 
and  in  1777  the  number  of  regiments  had  been  in- 
creased to  seventeen.  The  number  of  men  enrolled 
was  16,710,  ancl  this  comprised  practically  all  resi- 
dents of  military  age  in  the  state.  In  1775  three 
regiments  were  formed  and  put  under  command  re- 
spectively of  John  Stark,  James  Reed  and  Enoch 
Poor.  The  first  two  regiments  were  actual  partici- 
pants in  the  battle  of  Bunker  Hill,  so-called,  and  consti- 
tuted more  than  one-half  of  all  the  Americans  actually 
engaged,  and  a  little  later  Poor's  regiment  joined  the 
army  assembled  near  Boston.  John  Sullivan  was  also 
a  participant  in  that  campaign  under  commission  from 
Congress  as  brigadier  general.  Timothy  Bedel  had  a 
regiment  in  Canada,  recruited  largely  from  New  Hamp- 
shire. Thirty-three  companies  under  Col.  Wingate 
were  guarding  the  sea  coast.  Two  companies  of  one 
and  a  part  of  another  were  formed  from  volunteers 
out  of  the  New  Hampshire  regiments  in  Washington's 
army  and  accompanied  Arnold  through  Maine  to  Que- 
bec. Coos  and  the  Connecticut  valley  were  also 
guarded,  and  thirty-one  companies  were  raised  and  sent 
to  take  the  place  of  the  Connecticut  men  who  declined  to 
remain  longer  in  the  siege  of  Boston.  Col.  Potter 
called  attention  to  the  action  of  the  Committee  of  Safety 
in  January,  1776,  making  John  Waldron  colonel  and 
Peter  Coffin  major  of  a  regiment,  the  rolls  of  which  are 
not  preserved.  It  may  have  been  one  which  served  at 
Winter  Hill.  Presumably  more  than  five  thousand  men 
of  this  state  were  in  the  field  in  1775. 

In  1776  it  was  the  same  story  of  practical  and  un- 

6 


STATE  BUILDERS 

flinching  loyalty  to  the  cause.  Upon  the  successful  con- 
clusion of  the  siege  of  Boston,  March  17,  1776,  Sulli- 
van took  comman^l  of  the  army  in  Canada,  which  by 
reason  of  defeat,  sickness,  want  of  supplies,  want  of 
support  and  the  arrival  of  large  fleets  and  armies  from 
England,  was  in  a  perilous  situation;  indeed  it  might 
perhaps  be  more  correctly  described  as  desperate.  Sulli- 
van, with  the  aid  of  reinforcements  sent  from  Wash- 
ington's army,  including  the  three  New  Hampshire 
regiments  under  Stark,  Poor  and  James  Reed,  with  dis- 
tinguished good  conduct,  brought  off  the  entire  army 
with  comparatively  small  loss,  besides  commanding  in 
several  well  planned  engagements  with  the  enemy. 
The  three  regiments  of  the  continental  line  were  strength- 
ened and  continued.  Returning  from  the  Canadian 
campaign,  which  relieved  the  northern  army  operating 
in  the  provinces,  the  New  Hampshire  regiments  of  the 
line  were  variously  employed  in  the  defence  of  Ticon- 
deroga  and  the  neighboring  strategic  points.  Here 
dysentery,  small  pox  and  putrid  fever  raged  among  the 
troops,  and  it  is  estimated  that  one-third  of  the  New 
Hampshire  men  died  of  these  diseases  in  1776.  Sulli- 
van, now  a  Major  General,  in  recognition  of  his  services 
in  the  Canadian  campaign,  had  important  command  in 
the  ill-fated  battle  of  Long  Island,  and  was  there  taken 
prisoner.  After  a  comparatively  brief  detention  he 
was  exchanged.  It  does  not  appear  that  these  regi- 
ments participated  in  the  battles  about  New  York  or  in 
the  operations  that  culminated  in  putting  Howe's  Army 
on  one  side  and  Washington's  on  the  other  at  the  Dela- 
ware River  in  the  winter  of  1776-7.  They  distin- 
guished themselves  at  Princeton  and  Trenton.  It  is 
sometimes  asserted  that  Stark  himself  suggested  the 
Trenton  attack.  It  certainly  had  all  the  characteristics 
of  his  instinctive  grasp  of  military  opportunity,  and  his 
unerring  directness  and  celerity  in  execution.  Bedel 

7 


STATE  BUILDERS 

raised  a  new  regiment  in  the  second  year  of  the  war 
which  operated  in  Canada;  Pierce  Long-  transferred  his 
regiment  from  the  coast  defences  to  Ticonderoga; 
four  additional  regiments  reinforced  the  patriot  army 
operating  in  various  divisions  of  the  war  area  later 
in  the  year,  viz. :  Wyman's  and  Wingate's  in  July 
and  August;  Tash's  and  Baldwin's  in  September, 
and  Oilman's  in  December.  The  last  two  named  of 
these  regiments  remained  with  Washington's  army  till 
the  spring  of  1777.  Thus  it  appears  that  in  the  year 
of  the  Declaration  of  Independence  the  state  had  at  least 
nine  full  regiments  in  the  field. 

In  1777,  the  contributions  of  New  Hampshire  in 
men  and  material  reached  high  water  mark.  In  May 
large  bodies  of  organized  volunteers  from  the  regiments 
of  Ashley,  Baldwin,  Chase,  Nichols,  Hale,  Moore, 
Webster,  Stickney  and  Morey  responded  to  urgent  calls 
for  reinforcements  for  Ticonderoga  and  the  campaign 
against  Burgoyne. 

The  New  Hampshire  regiments  in  the  continental 
line  continued  in  the  service,  and  were  distinguished  for 
good  conduct  at  Saratoga  and  at  other  important  engage- 
ments and  critical  points.  A  more  particular  description 
of  the  sequence  of  events  in  the  Saratoga  campaign  may 
be  required  to  obviate  confusion  in  the  mind  of  the 
reader  as  to  the  progress  of  affairs  at  this  juncture. 

The  two  important  engagements  were  on  September 
19  and  October  7.  Both  were  on  Freeman's  farm,  Bemis' 
Heights.  It  was  the  second  battle  that  was  decisive 
of  the  fate  of  Burgoyne.  The  surrender  took  place  at 
the  Heights  of  Saratoga,  at  a  place  now  called  Schuyler- 
ville.  The  army  laid  down  their  arms  within  the  old 
"Fort  Hardy,"  built  in  the  French  Wrar  at  a  point  on  the 
opposite  side -of  the  Fishkill  from  Schuylerville.  This 
was  the  place  to  which  Burgoyne  had  retreated  imme- 
diately after  his  defeat  at  the  second  battle  of  Freeman's 


STATE  BUILDERS 

farm.  His  army  was  occupied  two  nights  and  a  day  in 
this  movement.  Schuylerville  is  about  ten  miles  distant 
from  the  scene  of  the  battles  at  Freeman's  farm. 

In  the  first  battle  the  New  Hampshire  troops  engaged 
were  the  New  Hampshire  brigade  under  General  Poor 
and  a  detachment  of  infantry,  sometimes  described  as 
riflemen,  under  Major  Henry  Dearborn,  about  three 
hundred  in  number,  consisting  of  men  of  Long's  regi- 
ment, detachments  of  other  militia,  and  Whitcomb's 
Rangers.  Dearborn  co-operated  with  Morgan  in  the  re- 
pulse of  Frazer's  attack.  Wilkinson  says,  "The  stress 
of  the  action  on  our  part  was  borne  by  Morgan's  regi- 
ment and  Poor's  brigade."  He.  should  have  coupled 
Dearborn's  corps  with  Morgan's  regiment  in  this  con- 
nection. Judge  Nesmith,  in  his  article,  "New  Hamp- 
shire at  Saratoga,"  gives  statistics  indicating  that  about 
half  the  man  engaged,  possibly  more  than  half,  were 
from  New  Hampshire,  and  of  the  losses  on  the  part  of 
the  Americans,  killed,  wounded  and  missing,  returned 
by  Wilkinson  as  321,  161,  or  more  than  half,  must  be 
credited  to  the  New  Hampshire  organizations.  Lieu- 
tenant-Colonel Coburn  of  Scammell's  regiment  and 
Lieutenant-Colonel  Adams  of  Reid's  regiment  were 
among  the  large  number  of  valuable  men  and  officers 
which  the  state  lost  in  this  engagement. 

In  the  second  battle,  October  7th,  the  New  Hampshire 
men  were  again  engaged  in  the  most  important  fighting, 
and  once  more  earned  the  highest  commendation  for  their 
sturdy  heroism.  Again  their  losses  were  heavy,  another 
Lieutenant-Colonel,  Samuel  Connor  of  Whipple's  brigade, 
being  included  in  the  number.  There  are  no  adequate 
returns  of  the  losses  in  this  battle.  It  is  recorded  that 
"when  Cilley  first  became  engaged,  so  many  of  his  men 
fell  in  twenty  minutes  that  he  could  save  himself  only  by 
falling  back  on  reinforcements.  With  these  the  regi- 
ment went  into  the  fight  again  with  great  spirit  and 


STATE  BUILDERS 

fought  till  night.  Colonel  Scammell  fearlessly  led  his 
regiment  where  the  fight  was  hottest."  Marked  changes 
had  occurred  at  the  beginning  of  the  year  in  the 
command  of  these  organizations.  The  promotion  of 
Col.  Poor  at  the  instance  of  General  and  Congress- 
man Folsom  to  be  brigadier  (thus  passing  by  Stark) 
had  caused  a  vacancy  in  his  regiment  (the  second)  and 
at  the  same  time  had  given  such  offence  to  Col.  Stark 
that  he  resigned  from  the  army.  James  Reed  had  be- 
come blind  and  left  the  service.  The  second  regi- 
ment now  became  the  third  and  the  third  the  sec- 
ond. The  first  retained  its  number.  Joseph  Cilley 
became  colonel  of  the  first,  Nathan  Hale  of  the  second 
and  Alexander  Scammell  of  the  third.  Hale  was  taken 
prisoner  at  Hubbardton  and  George  Reid  became 
colonel  and  so  continued  till  1781.  Langdon's  clarion 
call  to  the  New  Hampshire  Assembly  and  the  conjuring 
with  the  name  of  Stark  to  raise  a  brigade  to  be  thrown 
athwart  the  Burgoyne  invasion  is  now  such  familiar 
history  that  it  should  be  supererogation  even  to  outline 
it  to  New  Hampshire  readers. 

Stark's  brigade  at  Bennington,  consisting  of  the 
regiments  of  Cols.  Thomas  Stickney,  Moses  Nichols 
and  David  Hobart,  struck  the  blow  which  decided  the . 
fate  of  Burgoyne's  invasion.  When  Stark's  men  were 
approaching  the  end  of  their  famous  campaign  and  re- 
turning to  their  farms  and  their  harvests,  Whipple's 
brigade  and  the  new  bodies  of  volunteers  gathered  by 
Stark  were  forwarded  with  promptitude  and  energy 
for  reinforcement  of  the  northern  army  under  Gates. 
With  Gen.  Whipple,  or  Gen.  Stark  were  Drake's,  Moor's, 
Evans',  Bellows',  Moulton's,  Chase's,  Welch's  and  Ger- 
rish's  regiments.  Gen.  Bayley  of  Vermont  (nominally 
New  York)  certifies  to  the  sendee  of  a  regiment  in  his 
brigade  under  command  of  Col.  David  Webster  of  Ply- 
mouth. This  probably  refers  to  Chase's  regiment, 

10 


STATE  BUILDERS 

which  was  composed  of  parts  of  Webster's,  Morey's 
and  Hobart's  militia  regiments, — Webster  ranking 
as  lieutenant-colonel  in  the  last  named  militia  regi- 
ment. Sloan's  Orford  Company  and  Hutchins'  Haver- 
hill  Company  were  probably  in  the  Vermont  regi- 
mental organizations.  Ashley's,  Bellows',  Hale's  and 
Morey's  Connecticut  Valley  militia  regiments  contri- 
buted contingents  of  volunteers  to  reinforce  Gates  and 
complete  the  investment  of  Burgoyne.  John  Langdon 
led  a  company  of  volunteers  to  Saratoga  of  which  the 
captain  was  destined  to  be  the  first  presiding  officer  of 
the  United  States  Senate,  and  the  first  lieutenant  a 
United  States  Senator,  while  nine  others  who  were  men 
of  conspicuous  standing  and  commissioned  officers  in 
other  organizations,  served  as  privates  in  the  same 
company.  Stark,  upon  his  return  with  fresh  and  liberal 
contributions  Qf  New  Hampshire  men  for  the  conclud- 
ing movements  against  Burgoyne's  army  of  invasion, 
with  that  unerring  sense  of  correct  strategy  which 
seemed  instinctive,  placed  himself  with  two  thousand 
men  in  Burgoyne's  rear,  held  Fort  Edward  and  all  the 
fords  below,  and  closed  the  only  avenue  of  escape  of 
which  that  commander  might  avail  himself.  It  was  the 
information  that  such  a  force  under  Stark  had  accom- 
plished this  manoeuvre  that  compelled  Burgoyne  to  his 
decision  to  capitulate. 

This  year  as  usual  the  Coos  country  and  the  sea  coast 
were  guarded  by  New  Hampshire  men.  Senter's  bat- 
talion was  sent  to  the  relief  of  Rhode  Island. 

Late  in  1777,  Col.  Timothy  Bedel  raised  a  new  con- 
tinental regiment  which  was  intended  for  Canadian  or 
frontier  service.  It  was  discharged  in  March,  1778. 

Subsequently  in  the  same  year  Col.  Bedel  raised  his 
fourth  regiment,  which  was  eventually  discontinued  by 
vote  of  Congress. 

The  winter  of  1777-1778  found  the  New  Hampshire 

ii 


STATE  BUILDERS 

men  of  the  continental  line  at  Valley  Forge  and  a  bri- 
gade under  Whipple  in  Rhode  Island,  where  General 
Sullivan  conducted  a  campaign  which,  though  in  a 
measure  unsuccessful,  was  in  every  way  creditable  to 
that  commander. 

Gen.  Whipple's  colonels  were  Nathaniel  Peabody, 
brigade  adjutant,  Stephen  Evans,  volunteer  aid,  Moses 
Nichols,  Moses  Kelley,  Jacob  Gale,  Enoch  Hale,  Joshua 
Wingate  and  (lieutenant  colonel)  Stephen  Peabody. 
John  Langdon,  James  Hackett  and  William  Gardner, 
all  prominent  Portsmouth  men,  were  respectively  Cap- 
tain, Lieutenant  and  Ensign  of  a  company  of  Light 
Horse  serving  with  the  brigade. 

The  New  Hampshire  brigade  under  Poor  served 
with  distinguished  valor  at  Monmouth.  In  1779,  Gen. 
Poor  and  the  New  Hampshire  regiments  in  the  same 
brigade  participated  in  the  campaign  under  Gen.  Sulli- 
van against  the  Six  Nations  and  here  again  displayed 
their  soldierly  proficiency  and  veteran  courage  and  en- 
durance. 

In  the  spring  of  1779,  New  Hampshire  sent  a  regi- 
ment under  Colonel  Hercules  Mooney  for  service  in 
Rhode  Island. 

The  next  year  the  state  contributed  two  additional 
regiments  for  special  service  beyond  its  boundaries,  one 
under  Col.  Moses  Nichols  and  one  under  Col.  Thomas 
Bartlett,  while  the  continental  regiments  served  in  New 
York  and  New  Jersey,  in  which  second  named  state 
Gen.  Poor  died  honored  and  lamented  by  the  young 
nation  he  had  served  so  well. 

In  1781,  a  part  of  the  New  Hampshire  contingent  in 
the  continental  line  remained  in  New  York  while  the 
remainder  took  important  duty  in  the  Virginia  cam- 
paign which  culminated  in  the  surrender  of  Cornwallis. 
Here  died  the  brave  and  accomplished  Scammell,  then 
adjutant  General  of  Washington's  army.  Col.  Daniel 


STATE  BUILDERS 

Reynolds  organized  a  new  regiment  in  1781,  which 
served  at  Albany  or  in  that  region  in  the  northern  depart- 
ment until  discharged  in  November. 

The  New  Hampshire  regiments  of  the  Continental 
Line  continued  in  service  under  Washington  to  the  end. 

Henry  Dearborn  in  1781  succeeded  to  the  command 
of  the  third  regiment.  He  was  in  later  years  Secretary 
of  War  under  President  Jefferson  and  senior  major-gen- 
eral of  the  army  in  1812. 

The  Cedars  and  Hubbardton  are  the  only  two  points 
in  the  revolutionary  period  at  which  the  historians  of 
New  Hampshire  are  held  up  for  explanation  or  apology. 

It  is  not  improbable  that  of  the  upwards  of  sixteen 
thousand  men  in  New  Hampshire  then  capable  of  bear- 
ing arms,  practically  every  one  was  at  one  time  or  an- 
other in  the  period  of  war  in  the  active  service,  and 
many  of  them  multiplying  terms  of  service  through  re- 
peated enlistments.  In  that  seven  years  of  struggle,  no 
armed  enemy  in  visible  organization  crossed  the  boun- 
daries of  the  Granite  State. 

Nathaniel  Folsom  was  made  a  major-general  in  the 
State  service  and  was  at  different  periods  a  delegate  in 
the  Continental  Congress.  His  military  services  were 
principally  confined  to  affairs  of  organization  after  the 
first  few  months  of  the  war. 

Congress  after  Bennington  hastened  to  make  the 
amende  honorable  to  Stark.  They  accorded  him  their 
formal  thanks  and  made  him  a  brigadier-general.  He 
participated  with  his  characteristic  ability  in  the  battle  of 
Springfield  in  New  Jersey  in  June,  1780.  He  held 
commands  consonant  with  his  rank  and  his  principal 
services  were  of  great  value  in  the  northern  department 
which  was  assigned  to  him  after  Saratoga,  and  which 
with  periods  of  duty  with  Washington  in  the  central 
department,  with  Gates  in  Rhode  Island  and  recruiting 
services  in  New  Hampshire  occupied  his  attention  largely 


STATE  BUILDERS 

till  independence  was  achieved.  He  was  then  breveted 
a  major-general  as  an  expression  of  the  esteem  in  which 
he  was  held  by  the  representatives  of  the- people. 

Sullivan  closed  his  distinguished  career  with  the 
thanks  of  Congress  for  his  successful  campaign  against 
the  Six  Nations  in  1779,  in  which,  as  already  written, 
the  New  Hampshire  line  regiments  were  an  important 
factor. 

He  had  distinguished  himself  most  conspicuously  in 
the  two  Rhode  Island  campaigns,  the  relief  of  the  army 
in  Canada,  the  campaign  of  1779,,  in  all  of  which  he  had 
independent  command;  and  his  loyalty,  heroic  spirit 
and  superior  military  ability  were  well  proven  at  the 
siege  of  Boston,  the  battles  of  Long  Island,  Trenton, 
Princeton,  Brandywine  and  Germantown. 

He  continued  in  the  public  service  his  share  o<f  the 
time  as  did  Langdon,  Whipple,  Bartlett  and  Livermore, 
as  a  conspicuously  useful  member  of  the  Continental 
Congress. 

THE  RANGER  SERVICE. 

The  large  extent  of  frontier  which  surrounded  the 
New  Hampshire  settlements  on  three  sides,  and  which 
had  been  protected  by  the  people  themselves, — every 
generation  in  a  period  of  a  hundred  years  having  had 
one  or  two  French  and  Indian  wars, — had  caused  the 
essential  elements  of  the  best  soldiers  of  Ranger  service 
to  be  hereditary  with  the  men  of  this  province.  In 
1775,  several  companies  of  "Rangers"  of  similar  or- 
ganization and  training  to  those  of  Rogers  in  the  last 
French  and  Indian  war,  were  raised  and  despatched  to. 
Canada  under  Bedel.  After  the  termination  of  the 
operations  in  Canada  in  1775  and  1776,  which  Pro- 
fessor Justin  H.  Smith  in  the  Century  Magazine  aptly 
describes  as  the  "Prelude  of  the  Revolution,"  a 


STATE  BUILDERS 

large  area  was  open  to  raids  by  Canadians,  Tories 
and  Indians,  by  way  of  the  wilderness  region  which 
is  now  northern  Vermont,  also  by  the  Connecticut 
-Valley  and  the  Androscoggin  region.  Bedel's  third 
and  fourth  regiments  and,  after  the  discontinuance 
of  Bedel's  fourth  regiment  in  the  summer  of  1779, 
Hazen's  Continental  regiment,  occupied  the  Connecti- 
cut Valley  in  force.  Thus  a  most  important  pro- 
ducing region  and  granary  was  quite  effectually  secured 
from  guerilla  incursions.  Besides  these  regiments 
was  the  battalion  of  Maj.  Benj.  Whitcomb,  a  partisan 
leader  of  a  career  which  is  replete  with  startling  ad- 
venture and  singular  exemption  from  military  misfor- 
tune and  failure,  which  was  in  continuous  employment, 
and  many  other  companies  and  scouts  raised  for  special 
duty  and  for  limited  periods.  Among  the  ranger 
captains  or  commanding  lieutenants  were  Joshua  Heath, 
Jeremiah  Eames,  Nathan  Caswell,  Ebenezer  Webster 
(father  of  the  great  expounder  of  the  constitution), 
David  Woodworth,  Samuel  Atkinson,  Josiah  Russell, 
George  Aldrich,  Nathan  Taylor,  Samuel  Paine,  Eph- 
raim  Stone,  Samuel  Runnels,  Thomas  Simpson,  Jonah 
Chapman,  Joseph  Hutchins,  Peter  Stearns,  Jacob  Smith, 
Jonathan  Smith,  James  Osgood,  Ezekiel  Walker,  Philip 
Page,  John  Adams,  Elijah  Dinsmore,  Thomas  Nichols, 
Peter  Kimball,  Absalom  Peters,  John  House,  James 
Ladd,  and  James  Blake.  The  operations  of  the  com- 
panies of  rangers  doing  scouting  duty  between  the  arm- 
ies, or  garrison  service  at  the  frontier  outposts,  were 
usually  directed  by  and  the  immediate  business  of  the 
commissariat  committed  to  such  prominent  men  of 
the  vicinity  as  Col.  John  Hurd  of  Haverhill,  Col.  Joseph 
Whipple-  of  Jefferson  (then  Dartmouth),  Col.  Israel 
Morey  of  Orford  and  Col.  Charles  Johnston  of  Haverhill. 


STATE  BUILDERS 

THE   MARINE. 

Colonel  Chandler  E.  Potter  in  his  Military  History 
of  New  Hampshire,  says,  p.  367 : — 

"The  Governor  of  our  State  is  styled  'The  Com- 
mander-in-Chief  of  the  Army  and  Navy.'  This  title 
was  given  when  we  had  an  army  and  navy,  and  when 
it  was  doubtless  thought  we  might  have  still  larger  and 
more  efficient  ones. 

"The  attention  of  the  Committee  of  Safety  was  early 
sought,  to  initiate  a  system  of  privateering  which 
might  grow  more  formidable,  and  at  least  greatly  harass 
the  enemy.  Early  in  1775  the  armed  schooner  'En- 
terprise' was  fitted  out  by  the  citizens  of  Portsmouth, 
to  cruise  against  the  enemy,  and  Daniel  Jackson  was 
appointed  her  commander.  Capt.  Jackson,  for  some 
reason,  resigned  his  office,  and  Capt.  Thomas  Palmer 
was  appointed  in  his  place  by  the  Committee  of  Safety. 
His  appointment  is  thus  recorded  in  their  journal: 

"  'February  23,  1776.  At  the  request  of  the  proprie- 
tors of  the  schooner  privateer,  called  the  Enterprise,  we 
have  appointed  Thomas  Palmer  commander,  in  the 
room  of  Capt.  Daniel  Jackson,  resigned.' 

"The  'McClary,'  another  armed  schooner,  under  the 
auspices  of  the  Committee  of  Safety,  and  commanded 
by  Capt.  Robert  Parker,  'sailed  on  a  cruise  against  the 
enemy.'  The  'McClary'  took  many  valuable  prizes, 
and  among  others  the  'Susanna,'  which  for  a  time  was 
the  source  of  much  difficulty  betwixt  our  legislature 
and  congress.  The  'Susanna'  was  brought  into  Ports- 
mouth, and  condemned  as  a  lawful  prize,  being  an 
American  vessel  trading  at  an  enemy's  port.  The 
owners  brought  the  matter  before  Congress,  -and  the 
decision  of  our  state  court  was  reversed.  This  proceed- 
ing produced  a  most  spirited  remonstrance  from  our 
legislature,  vindicating  state  rights.  Many  other  armed 

16 


STATE  BUILDERS 

vessels  were  fitted  out,  and  did  the  enemy  much  in- 
jury, under  the  command  of  the  noted  and  gallant 
sailors  of .  Portsmouth.  Some  of  these  'armed  vessels/ 
and  their  commanders,  were  as  follows: 

The  Enterprise,  Thomas  Palmer. 

McClary,  Robert  Parker,   (Thomas  Darling.) 

General  Sullivan,      (Thomas  Manning.) 

General  Mifflin,  Daniel  McNiel. 

Rambler,  Thomas  Manning. 

Pluto,  John  Hill. 

Humbird,  Samuel  Rice. 

Fortune,  John  Mendum. 

Bellona,  Thomas  Manning. 

Adventure,  Kinsman  Peverly. 

Marquis  of  Kildare,  Thomas  Palmer. 

Portsmouth,  frigate  built,  Robert  Parker. 

Hampden,  frigate  built,  Thomas  Pickering." 

Paul  Jones,  though  he  was  a  Virginia  planter  at  the 
beginning  of  the  war,  may  fairly  be  regarded  as  a  New 
Hampshire  sailor.  His  "Ranger"  sailed  from  Ports- 
mouth and  many  of  the  most  efficient  men  and  officers 
under  his  command  on  the  "Ranger"  and  the  "Richard" 
were  of  this  State.  It  now  transpires  that  George 
Roberts,  who  threw  the  grenades  into  the  Serapis,  amid- 
ships, and  exploded  her  magazines,  was  a  New  Hamp- 
shire sailor.  In  a  recent  number  of  the  Granite  Monthly 
is  an  interesting  sketch  of  Seaman  Roberts  by  his 
grandson,  Col.  Charles  H.  Roberts.  Gen.  Whipple, 
Coi.  Hackett,  John  Langdon  and  other  New  Hampshire 
leaders  were  actively  engaged  at  different  periods  in 
fitting  out  ships  of  wrar  at  Portsmouth.  The  services 
of  these  men  were  invaluable.  It  is  a  desideratum  long 
recognized  in  New  Hampshire  history  that  her  part  in 
the  naval  wars  of  the  colonial,  revolutionary  and  state 
periods  has  never  been  accorded  seasonable  or  adequate 


STATE  BUILDERS 

treatment.  In  Buell's  recent  Life  of  Paul  Jones;  in  the 
Centennial  History  of  the  Navy  Yard  at  Portsmouth 
by  Furness;  in  the  History  of  the  Navy  Yard  at  Ports- 
mouth by  Preble;  in  the  Correspondence  of  Commodore 
Perkins;  and  in  the  printed  proceedings  on  the  occasion 
of  the  dedication  of  his  statue  at  Concord,  glimpses  at 
the  abundance  of  material  available  to  this  purpose  are 
afforded. 

A  WHEEL  WITHIN  A  WHEEL. 

In  almost  the  entire  continuance  of  the  war  the  ad- 
ministrators of  the  New  Hampshire  government  were 
embarrassed  by  a  serious  defection  which  existed  in  the 
western  part  of  the  state,  and  particularly  in  Grafton 
county.  While  the  state  was  maintaining  a  revolu- 
tionary attitude  towards  the  mother  country,  a  revolt 
against  the  authority  of  the  state  itself  was  a  serious 
and  persistent  internal  condition.  This  state  of  affairs 
involved  a  refusal  of  many  of  the  towns  to  participate 
in  state  governmental  affairs.  These  towns  were 
all  in  the  Connecticut  river  valley  or  in  that 
vicinity.  A  number  of  the  leading  men  in  these  towns 
were  from  Connecticut,  and  their  ideas  of  government 
•were  naturally  in  accordance  with  their  education  and 
experience  in  the  commonwealth  from  which  they  had 
emigrated. 

Hanover,  with  its  college  and  faculty,  which  consti- 
tuted a  Connecticut  colony  of  itself,  was  the  intellectual 
centre  for  this  movement  which  took  substantial  form 
early  in  1776. 

The  form  of  government  adopted  for  the  time  be- 
ing by  the  fifth  Provincial  congress  was  not  acceptable 
to  the  majority  of  the  people  in  the  towns  now  con- 
stituting the  western  part  of  Grafton  county.  Col. 
Kurd  and  Lt.  Col.  Chas.  Johnston,  however,  were  not 

18 


STATE  BUILDERS 

partisans  of  the  views  which  generally  prevailed  on 
this  subject  in  their  vicinity.  Col.  Morey  and  Col. 
Bedel  were  conspicuous  among  the  opposers  of  the 
party  in  power  in  the  so-called  Exeter  government.  The 
group  of  towns  which  included  Gunthwait  on  the  north 
and  Lebanon  on  the  south  in  Grafton  county,  organized 
themselves  by  town  groups  and  local  committees  for 
the  management  of  civil  and  military  affairs,  and 
formally  declined  to  recognize  the  new  state  government 
of  New  Hampshire.  It  will  not  be  found  useful  to 
pursue  the  history  of  this  controversy  at  length  in  this 
connection.  It  may  be  remembered,  however,  that  the 
Independents  of  the  Connecticut  Valley  manoeuvred 
with  skill  and  persistence  to  accomplish  such  a  union  of 
Vermont  towns  with  New  Hampshire  as  promised 
either  to  augment  the  influence  of  the  western  part  of 
the  state  and  to  diminish  in  a  corresponding  degree  the 
political  power  which  the  eastern  section  had  acquired, 
or  severing  themselves  from  New  Hampshire  to  join 
with  the  proposed  state  of  Vermont  or  New  Connecti- 
cut under  more  favorable  conditions  than  they  could 
expect  from  New  Hampshire.  At  two  periods  between 
1776  and  the  close  of  the  war,  that  is  to  say,  in  1778 
and  1781-2,  these  towns  were  in  active  union  with  Ver- 
mont so  far  as  the  formal  action  of  both  parties  could 
accomplish  such  a  result. 

THE  CAUSE  OF  THE  CONTROVERSY. 

Briefly  stated,  the  contention  of  the  New  Connecti- 
cut party  was  that  upon  the  dissolution  of  political  rela- 
tions between  the  colonies  and  the  mother  country,  and 
more  especially  in  respect  to  the  territory  in  contro- 
versy between  New  York  and  New  Hampshire,  the 
towns,  being  the  political  units  and  the  original  source 
of  political  authority,  were  invested  with  the  right  to 

'9 


STATE  BUILDERS 

determine  for  themselves  the  question  whether  to  accord 
allegiance  to  the  one  or  the  other  of  the  disputing  states 
or  whether  to  erect  themselves  into  a  state  independent 
of  the  mandate  of  any  other  association  of  towns  or 
communities  formed  for  purposes  of  government. 
They  urged  that  inasmuch  as  the  New  Hampshire  con- 
stitution of  1776  had  never  been  submitted  to  the  people 
or  to  the  towns  for  ratification  and  had  been  accepted 
by  a  part  of  the  towns  only,  it  was  operative  only  upon 
such  as  had  elected  to  ratify  its  provisions.  The  pro- 
testing towns  took  care  not  to  do  any  act  which  could  be 
construed  as  a  ratification  of  that  form  of  government 
in  the  six  years  from  early  in  1776  to  1782.  Their 
argument  was  presented  in  the  controversial  and  offi- 
cial literature  of  that  time  with  great  skill  and  effective- 
ness. They  succeeded  in  making  themselves  felt  as 
a  political  force  to  be  reckoned  with  by  three  estab- 
lished states,  and  the  Continental  Congress,  as  well  as 
the  prospective  commonwealth  of  Vermont. 

CIVIL  GOVERNMENT   1775-1784. 

The  Civil  Government  of  New  Hampshire  from  the 
time  of  the  departure  of  Gov.  Wentworth  to  the  or- 
ganization of  a  new  form  of  government  in  June,  1784, 
under  the  constitution  of  1783,  was  purely  legislative. 
The  constitution  of  1776,  the  first  adopted  by  either  of 
the  thirteen  states,  was  a  very  brief  instrument  and 
evidently  intended  to  be  temporary,  or  as  it  was  offi- 
cially stated  at  the  time,  "to  continue  during  the  present 
unhappy  and  unnatural  contest  with  Great  Britain." 
It  was  promulgated  and  adopted  by  the  fifth  convention, 
chosen  in  the  latter  part  of  1775,  and  it  was  never  sub- 
mitted to  or  formally  ratified  by  the  people.  It  pro- 
vided for  a  council  or  senate  of  twelve  members,  to  be 
elected  for  the  first  year  by  the  house  of  representatives 

20 


STATE  BUILDERS 

and  after  that  by  the  people.  These  councillors  were 
chosen  according  to  population,  but  with  a  recognition 
of  county  boundaries,  so  that  a  councillor,  with  rare 
exceptions,  represented  no  county  but  the  one  in  which 
he  lived.  A  president  of  the  council  or  senate  was 
chosen  by  that  body,  the  senior  senator  to  preside  in  his 
absence.  The  president  of  the  senate  or  council  was, 
of  course,  always  a  member  of  that  body.  The  legis- 
lature appointed  the  general  and  field  officers  of  the 
militia  and  the  officers  of  the  state  regiments  and  other 
state  organizations  in  active  service, — certain  rights  of 
election  or  nomination  of  company  officers  by  the  com- 
panies being  recognized.  The  legislature  appointed  the 
judges  of  the  court,  but  each  court  could  appoint  its 
own  clerk.  The  legislature  administered  the  executive 
business  of  the  state.  In  periods  when  the  legislature 
was  not  in  session,  those  interims  were  carefully  pro- 
vided for  by  the  constitution  of  a  committee  of  safety 
which  enabled  the  legislative  body  to  keep  control  of  all 
affairs  and  have  its  own  membe.rs  in  constant  control 
of  all  vacation  business.  Meshech  Weare  was,  how- 
ever, continuously  president  of  the  council  and  presi- 
dent or  chairman  of  the  Committee  of  Safety.  Thus  it 
was  that  this  able,  devoted  and  unassuming  patriot  be- 
came the  "war  governor"  of  New  Hampshire  in  the 
"time  that  tried  men's  souls."  The  legislature  chose 
the  delegates  to  the  continental  congress.  There  was 
no  occasion  under  this  form  of  government  for  state 
election  for  any  purpose.  The  counties  elected  the 
councillors,  the  register  of  deeds  and  the  county  treas- 
urer by  popular  vote.  All  other  county  officers  were 
appointed  by  the  legislature.  There  was  no  such  work- 
ing principle  as  incompatibility  in  office  holding. 
Meshech  Weare,  president  from  January,  1776,  to 
June,  1784,  was  also  a  considerable  part  of  the  time 
chief  justice  and  colonel  of  his  regiment  in  the 


STATE  BUILDERS 

militia.  It  is  evident  from  the  fact  that  a  differ- 
ent form  of  government  under  a  new  constitution 
proposed  in  1778  was  rejected  that  the  temporary  gov- 
ernment was  satisfactory  to  the  majority  of  the  people. 
It  was  the  manifestation  of  a  sharp  reaction  against 
the  former  method  of  colonial  government. 

Among  the  most  valuable  men  in  the  government  of 
the  Revolutionary  period  were  Meshech  Weare,  John 
Langdon,  John  Dudley,  Josiah  Bartlett,  Matthew  Thorn- 
ton, William  Whipple,  Nathaniel  Folsom,  Ebenezer 
Thompson,  John  Kurd,  Samuel  Ashley,  Nicholas  Oilman, 
George  King  Atkinson,  Timothy  Walker,  Jr.,  John  Went- 
worth,  Benjamin  Bellows,  Moses  Nichols,  Charles  John- 
ston, Timothy  Farrar,  Enoch  Hale,  Francis  Worcester, 
George  Frost,  Jacob  Abbott,  Thomas  Sparhawk,  Moses 
Dow,  Francis  Blood,  John  McCleary,  Samuel  Hunt, 
George  Gains,  Nathaniel  S.  Prentice,  Paul  Dudley  Sar- 
gent, 'Otis  Baker,  Benjamin  Barker,  Thomas  Bartlett, 
John  Calfe,  Jonathan  Blanchard,  Wyseman  Claggett, 
Samuel  Cutts,  Levi  Dearborn,  Richard  Downing, 
Stephen  Evans,  John  Giddings,  Benjamin  Giles,  David 
Gilman,  Woodbury  Langdon,  John  Taylor  Gilman,  Jo- 
seph Gilman,  Samuel  Gilman,  Samuel  Hobart,  Jonathan 
Lovewell,  Pierce  Long,  Hercules  Mooney,  Israel  Morey, 
Josiah  Moulton,  Thomas  Odiorne,  Matthew  Patten, 
Samuel  Patten,  Nathaniel  Peabody,  Samuel  Philbrick, 
John  Pickering,  Ebenezer  Potter,  Ephraim  Robinson, 
John  Smith,  Christopher  Toppan,  John  Webster,  John 
Wentworth,  Jr.,  Robert  Wilson,  Phillips  White,  Joseph 
Whipple  and  John  Hale. 

It  is  a  noteworthy  fact  that  the  record  does  not  indi- 
cate that  John  Stark  was  the  incumbent  of  any  civil  office 
whatever  unless  it  might  have  been  some  town  function 
or  that  he  may  have  held  a  commission  as  justice  of  the 
peace. 

The  list  of  men  chosen  by  the  New  Hampshire  Legisla- 

22 


STATE  BUILDERS 

ture  to  be  representatives  in  the  Continental  Congresses 
contains  many  historic  names.  It  is  probable  that  not  all 
of  these  delegates  were  in  actual  attendance.  As  indi- 
cated by  the  record  they  were : 

John  Sullivan,  Nathaniel  Folsom,  Josiah  Bartlett,  Wil- 
liam Whipple,  Matthew  Thornton,  John  Langdon,  Sam- 
uel Ashley,  George  King  Atkinson,  Benjamin  Bellows, 
Jonathan  Blanchard,  Moses  Dow,  Abiel  Foster,  George 
Frost.  John  Taylor  Gilman,  Woodbury  Langdon,  Samuel 
Livermore,  Nathaniel  Peabody,  Ebenezer  Thompson, 
Timothy  Walker,  Jr.,  John  Wentworth,  Jr.,  Benjamin 
West,  Phillips  White,  Pierce  Long,  Elisha  Payne, 
Nicholas  Gilman,  John  Pickering,  John  Sparhawk  and 
Paine  Wingate. 

Bartlett,  Whipple  and  Thornton  were  the  ones  who  had 
the  exceptional  opportunity  and  distinction  of  having 
been  signers  of  the  Declaration  of  Independence. 

The  chief  justices  of  the  superior  court  in  the  war  pe- 
riod were  Meshech  Weare,  who  had  been  educated  for  the 
ministry,  but  who  had  a  long  experience  as  a  judge  of  the 
province,  and  Samuel  Livermore,  an  able  lawyer  and  dis- 
tinguished statesman. 

The  associate  justices  were  Leverett  Hubbard,  lawyer; 
Mathew  Thornton,  physician:  John  Wentworth,  Sr.,  law- 
yer; Woodbury  Langdon,  merchant;  Josiah  Bartlett, 
physician,  and  William  Whipple,  merchant. 

These  will  be  recognized  as  men  who  were  conspicu- 
ous in  other  important  branches  of  the  public  service. 
The  courts  at  times  were  not  open  at  all  and  until  late  ir. 
the  progress  of  revolutionary  events  there  was  no  demand 
for  the  services  of  judges  and  juries.  There  seemed  to 
be  scant  opportunity  for  law  suits  between  man  and  man, 
while  an  all-absorbing  international  contest  was  con- 
trolling every  effort  and  every  resource  of  individual  and 
state. 


STATE  BUILDERS 

PERMANENT  STATEHOOD. 

The  leaders  in  the  Revolution  naturally  became  the 
leaders  in  civil  affairs  upon  the  settlement  of  a  permanent 
government.  The  first  period  under  the  constitution  of 
1783  will  be  included  between  the  beginning  of  the  new 
government  in  June,  1784,  and  the  government  under 
the  amended  constitution  in  1793. 

By  general  consent  the  patriot  Weare  became  president 
of  the  state  and  served  from  June,  1784,  to  June,  1785. 
This  closed  a  career  of  remarkable  purity,  usefulness  and 
conspicuous  success.  President  Weare's  war  administra- 
tion was  in  the  most  trying  epoch  through  which  the 
state  has  ever  passed.  No  student  of  New  Hampshire 
history  should  pass  by  the  story  of  the  life  of  this  man 
with  superficial  examination.  The  most  adequate  ac- 
count of  this  service  yet  presented  is  to  be  found  in  the 
biography  by  Hon.  Ezra  S.  Stearns  in  the  proceedings  of 
the  New  Hampshire  Society  of  the  Sons  of  the  American 
Revolution. 

When  Meshech  Weare  passed  from  the  sphere  of 
political  activity  the  not  unfriendly  rivalry  of  John  Lang- 
don  and  John  Sullivan  for  the  honors  of  state  became  the 
most  interesting  feature  of  New  Hampshire  politics. 
Langdon  succeeded  Weare  for  one  term;  Sullivan  suc- 
ceeded Langdon  for  two  terms.  Langdon  was  again 
elected  in  1788,  and  Sullivan  was  returned  to  office  in 
1789.  Josiah  Bartlett  took  office  in  1790,  serving  three 
terms  in  succession.  He  was  the  last  to  hold  the  title 
of  president. 

Mean  while  the  federal  convention  of  1787,  of  which 
John  Langdon  and  Nicholas  Oilman  were  the  New 
Hampshire  members,  had  formulated  a  constitution  for 
the  United  States  of  America.  The  consent  of  nine  states 
was  required  for  its  ratification.  This  constitution  be- 
came the  organic  law  of  the  new  nation  by  its  ratification 

24 


STATE  BUILDERS 

on  the  part  of  New  Hampshire,  the  ninth  state,  in  June, 
1788. 

Under  this  new  federal  government  John  Lang-don  and 
Paine  Wingate  became  senators  in  the  winter  of  1788-9, 
while  Nicholas  Oilman,  Samuel  Livermore  and  Abiel 
Foster  were  the  first  representatives  in  congress  elected 
by  this  state.  John  Sullivan  was  appointed  as  the  first 
district  judge  of  New  Hampshire  by  President  Washing- 
ton in  the  ensuing  year.  He  was  at  the  same  time  presi- 
dent of  the  state  and  held  both  offices  until  the  end  of  his 
term  as  president  in  June,  1 790. 

Senator  Langdon,  who  was  president  of  the  state  for 
the  year  1788-9,  resigned  this  office  January  22,  1789, 
to  take  his  seat  in  the  senate.  John  Pickering  then  suc- 
ceeded to  the  office  as  president  of  the  state,  and  was  the 
incumbent  of  it  until  the  following  June.  This  fact  is 
often  overlooked  in  tables  of  official  succession  and  in 
political  histories  of  the  state. 

The  contest  over  the,  adoption  of  the  federal  constitu- 
tion was  the  most  important  subject  before  the  people  in 
this  period.  Debt  and  paper  money  disturbed  and  de- 
ranged the  business  affairs  of  the  new  state  and  were  the 
causes  of  great  distress  among  the  people. 

The  disaffected  elements  were  upon  the  verge  of  rebel- 
lion in  1786  and  surrounded  the  assembled  legislature  in 
a  clamorous  mob.  This  uprising  was  successfully  quelled 
under  the  discreet  management  of  President  Sullivan, — 
a  display  of  military  force  being  made  under  the  com- 
mand of  the  veteran,  Cilley. 

STATE  GOVERNMENT  FROM  1793  TO  1816. 

If  the  political  standards  of  a  free  people  may  be  fairly 
judged  at  any  given  time  by  the  character  of  the  chief 
magistrates  whom  they  select,  it  may  be  said  of  New 
Hampshire  that  in  no  other  period  does  this  test  respond 

25 


STATE  BUILDERS 

as  it  does  in  that  under  review.  In  point  of  character  and 
ability  the  list  of  governors  in  these  twenty-three  years  is 
striking  and  conspicuous.  It  includes  Josiah  Bartlett,  one 
term;  John  Taylor  Oilman,  fourteen  terms;  John  Lang- 
don,  six  terms;  Jeremiah  Smith,  one  term,  and  William 
Plumer,  one  term. 

Among  the  senators  in  congress  were  Samuel  Liver- 
more,  Nicholas  Gilman,  William  Plumer,  John  Langdon 
and  Jeremiah  Mason.  Samuel  Livermore,  Nicholas  Gil- 
man, Jeremiah  Smith,  Thomas  W.  Thompson,  George 
Sullivan,  Charles  H.  Atherton  and  Daniel  Webster  were 
among  the  representatives  in  congress. 

It  was  in  this  period  that  the  prestige  of  service  in  the 
Revolution  continued  many  of  the  old  leaders  in  the  high- 
est prominence  in  the  state. 

At  the  same  time  a  later  generation  of  politicians  of 
transcendent  ability  was  developing  such  statesmen- jur- 
ists as  William  Plumer,  Jeremiah  Smith,  Jeremiah  Mason 
and  Daniel  Webster,  and  the  national  service  of  Webster 
and  Mason  were  not  more  useful  to  the  state  than  were 
the  achievements  of  Jeremiah  Smith  in  the  reform  and 
construction  of  a  system  of  jurisprudence,  and  what 
Plumer  accomplished  in  the  reforms  of  the  political  sys- 
tem embodied  in  the  constitution  of  1792,  and  in  other 
lines  of  political  effort,  notably  that  which  resulted  finally 
in  the  Toleration  Act  of  1819.  This  was  a  period  of  as- 
cendency of  the  Federalists  in  this  state  the  greater  part 
of  the,  time,  but  the  not  infrequent  successes  of  Langdon 
and  Plumer  in  contesting  the  governorship  and  the  fatal 
mistakes  of  the  party  in  its  war  policy  and  its  alliance 
with  the  standing  order  in  ecclesiastical  affairs  fore- 
shadowed the  sure  approach  of  its  complete  and  perma- 
nent failure  as  a  political  power. 

The  Anti-Federalists,  then  known  as  Republicans — the 
Jefferson  party  of  that  day — controlled  the  state  govern- 
ment in  whole  or  in  part  from  1804  to  1812,  Jeremiah 

26 


STATE  BUILDERS 

Smith  having  for  a  single  term  broken  in  on  the  succes- 
sion as  governor  in  1809. 

The  court  system  had  remained  without  material 
change,  as  far  as  the  court  of  last  resort  was  concerned, 
both  in  the  province  and  state  from  1699  to  1813.  In 
these  later  years  the  Federalists  having  recovered  control 
of  the  legislature  and  re-elected  John  Taylor  Oilman, 
abolished  the  existing  judicial  system  and  reorganized  the 
courts.  This  added  fuel  to  the  flames  of  opposition  and 
added  to  the  causes  which  were  effectual  in  the  final 
downfall  of  the  party  in  1816. 

Many  important  institutions  had  been  established  in  the 
state  between  the  close  of  the  Revolutionary  War  and  the 
termination  of  the  War  of  1812.  One  hundred  and  forty- 
two  library  associations  were  incorporated;  sixteen  acad- 
emies, including  Phillips  or  Exeter,  were  founded;  the 
medical  school  at  Hanover  had  its  beginning  in  1798;  a 
Grand  Lodge  of  Free  Masons  was  organized  in  1789  with 
General  John  Sullivan  as  Grand  Master ;  the  New  Hamp- 
shire Medical  Society  had  its  inception  in  1791;  Concord 
became  the  permanent  capital  in  1807,  and  the  State's 
Prison  in  that  city  was  begun  in  1811. 

The  same  period  was  one  in  which  a  marked  transition 
was  to  be  observed  in  ecclesiastical  affairs.  Universalism 
was  first  preached  in  New  Hampshire  in  1773,  and  Meth- 
odism in  the  last  decade  of  the  same  century.  Baptists 
in  their  several  divisions  were  of  course  of  a  much  earlier 
sectarian  development,  but  they  did  not  develop  consid- 
erable strength  in  New  Hampshire  until  the  period  fol- 
lowing the  Revolution. 

In  the  colony  and  Province  periods  the  Congregational 
order  had  maintained  its  ascendency  as  practically  a  state 
church,  the  town  ministers  having  been  elected  by  the 
people  and  supported  by  public  taxation. 

At  the  close  of  the  period  under  consideration,  all  de- 
nominations had  gathered  increased  members  and  influ- 

27 


STATE  BUILDERS 

ence  and  were  on  the  eve  of  a  contest  of  great  importance 
in  the  ecclesiastical  history  of  the  state. 


THE  WAR  OF  1812. 

The  second  war  with  England  was  not  in  accord  with 
the  political  views  of  the  Federalists.  While  its  prosecu- 
tion was  directed  nationally  by  a  Republican  administra- 
tion, in  New  Hampshire  a  Federalist  governor  held  office 
and  administered  its  military  affairs  in  the  last  two  years 
in  which  hostilities  were  continued. 

Governor  Plumer  was  in  full  accord  with  the  war  pol- 
icy of  the  Madison  administration.  Portsmouth  was 
fortified  and  garrisoned  early  in  the  war  by  troops 
under  command  of  Major  Bassett,  and  later  by  very- 
large  levies  from  time  to  time  from  the  militia  of  the 
state.  Captain  Mahurin  was  posted  at  Stewarts- 
to\vn  with  a  company  to  protect  the  frontier. 
Major  John  McNeil  of  New  Hampshire  distinguished 
himself  at  the  Battle  of  Chippewa.  General  Eleazer 
Wheelock  Ripley,  a  native  of  Hanover,  was  prominent 
at  the  Battle  of  Niagara  and  in  other  important  lines  of 
duty  in  this  war.  It  was  to  him  that  Miller,  another  illus- 
trious New  Hampshire  soldier,  replied  to  the  inquiry, 
"Can  you  storm  that  battery?"  "I'll  try,  sir."  At  the 
Battle  of  Fort  Erie,  also,  where  McNeil  and  Miller  added 
to  their  martial  laurels,  another  New  Hampshire  soldier, 
Major  John  W.  Weeks  of  Lancaster,  was  the  peer  of  the 
others  in  courage  and  conduct.  Moody  Bedel  was  an- 
other conspicuous  New  Hampshire  soldier  of  this  war. 
Gen.  John  Chandler  was  a  well-known  officer  of  New 
Hampshire  nativity.  As  has  already  been  stated,  Henry 
Dearborn,  formerly  a  distinguished  New  Hampshire  sol- 
dier of  the  Revolution,  was  in  the  early  part  of  this  war 
the  senior  Major-General.  On  the  sea,  moreover,  New 
Hampshire  sailors  in  many  battles  maintained  the  pres- 

28 


STATE  BUILDERS 

tige  which  has  always  accompanied  the  seamen  of  the 
Granite  State. 


EVENTS  FROM  1816  TO  1855. 

The  overthrow  of  the  Federalist  party  in  1816  was  an 
irretrievable  disaster  to  that  historic  organization.  With 
the  exception  of  the  temporary  triumph  resulting  in  the 
choice  of  Anthony  Colby,  Whig,  as  governor  in  1846, 
the  Jeffersonian  Republicans,  later  to  be  known  as  Dem- 
ocrats, elected  every  governor  until  their  power  was  over- 
thrown by  the  American  party,  more  commonly  styled 
"the  know-nothing  party,"  under  a  secret  organization  in 
1855.  I*  WM  te  recalled  that  from  1824  to  1834  the 
principal  factions  in  the  Democratic  party  were  desig- 
nated as  Jackson  men  and  Adams  men. 

The  astute  political  managers  who  had  compassed  the 
defeat  of  the  Federalists  in  1816,  built  the  party  founda- 
tions for  permanency  as  well  as  strength  and  utility. 

Sectarian  animosities  when  confused  with  party  pol- 
itics are  not  easily  eradicated. 

The  agitation  for  what  is  known  in  the  history  of  this 
state  as  religious  toleration  was  formally  begun  in  the 
legislature  in  1815.  The  so-called  Toleration  Act  did  not 
become  a  law  until  1819.  Meanwhile  the  conflict  before 
the  people  and  in  the  legislature  was  strenuous  and  often- 
times intensely  acrimonious.  The  Rev.  Dan  Young,  a 
minister  of  the  Methodist  denomination,  who  introduced 
the  first  bill  looking  towards  this  reform  in  the  senate  in 
1815,  was  re-elected  from  term  to  term  until  the  passage 
of  the  act  was  accomplished.  He  was  a  leading  exponent 
of  this  cause.  His  life,  written  by  W.  P.  Strickland,  con- 
tains an  interesting  account  of  this  controversy.  In  the 
house,  Ichabod  Bartlett  of  Portsmouth  and  Dr.  Thomas 
Whipple  of  Wentworth  were  the  champions  of  the  Toler- 
ation Measures.  Mr.  Henry  Hubbard  of  Charlestown 

29 


STATE  BUILDERS 

was  an  advocate  of  the  existing  system.  Mr.  Barstow  in 
his  history  of  New  Hampshire  gives  a  very  ample  resume 
of  the  debates  in  the  House. 

Contrary  to  the  predictions  and  convictions  of  the  op- 
ponents of  these  changes  in  the  law  of  the  State  relating 
to  town  taxation  and  town  control  in  church  affairs,  the 
results  were  advantageous  to  the  Congregationalists  as 
well  as  to  other  denominations. 

Contemporary  with  the  occurrences  already  recounted 
was  the  attempt  to  amend  the  charter  of  Dartmouth  col- 
lege by  state  authority  for  the  purpose  of  reorganizing 
the  government  of  the  institution.  This  legislation  was 
the  result  of  the  controversy  between  factions  in  the  town 
and  college  at  Hanover.* 

Their  petitions  to  the  Legislature  for  interference  in- 
volved far-reaching  results. 

The  Dartmouth  college  case  has  become  a  landmark  in 
federal  jurisprudence. 

Incidentally  it  served  to  make  prominent  and  bring  into 
the  view  of  the  whole  country  the  fact  that  there  was  at 
the  bar  of  New  Hampshire  and  on  the  bench  of  her  high- 
est court  a  group  of  lawyers  whose  learning  and  forensic 
ability  could  not  be  surpassed  at  that  day  in  the  entire 
length  and  breadth  o<f  the  Union. 

The  "era  of  good  feeling,"  which  intervened  between 
the  War  of  1812  and  the  organization  of  the  Whig  party 
in  1832,  was  a  period  in  which  personal  politics  predom- 
inated in  all  directions.  From  that  date  the  Whigs  by  de- 
grees developed  strength  sufficient  at  intervals  seriously 
to  threaten  Democratic  ascendancy  in  the  state.  Their 
activity  and  method  were  especially  manifest  in  the  cam- 
paigns of  1839  and  1840,  when  Gen.  James  Wilson  made 
his  phenomenal  runs  for  the  governorship. 

The  rapid  declination  of  the  Whig  party  after  the  Mex- 

*  Address  of  President  Tucker  before  the  N.  H.  State  Board 
Association,  John  Marshall  Day.  Vol.  I,  Proceedings,  p.  360. 

3° 


STATE  BUILDERS 

ican  War  resulted  from  causes  in  some  respects  similar 
to  those  which  militated  against  the  Federalists  after  the 
War  of  1812-15. 

In  1826  occurred  the  Anti-Masonic  uprising.  This 
affair  drifted  into  politics,  and,  as  a  party  issue  for  a  time, 
commanded  serious  attention.  The  movement  did  not, 
however,  acquire  in  this  state  the  momentum  which  it  had 
in  Vermont,  where  a  state  government  was  elected  on  an 
Anti-Masonic  platform. 

The  Democracy  of  New  Hampshire  for  a  long  series 
of  years  was  regarded  as  the  Democracy  of  Andrew 
Jackson  and  Isaac  Hill.  The  state  was  a  Jacksonian 
Gibraltar.  It  is  said  that  Gov.  Hill  was  a  potent  member 
of  the  president's  "kitchen  cabinet." 

However  the  fact  may  be  on  that  point,  the  manage- 
ment of  the  New  Hampshire  leaders  always  successfully 
met  the  practical  test  that  "nothing  succeeds  like  success." 

It  is  conceded  that  Gov.  Hill  exercised  great  influence 
in  national  affairs.  The  plan  of  a  national  convention  to 
nominate  candidates  for  president  and  vice-president  to 
supersede  the  old  method  of  nominations  by  a  congres- 
sional caucus  is  attributed  to  him.  Another  remarkable 
political  fact  related  to  Jackson's  administration  is  the 
number  and  prominence  of  the  New  Hampshire  stock  in 
his  cabinet.  Lewis  Cass,  a  native  of  Exeter,  was  Secre- 
tary of  War  from  1831  to  1833.  Amos  Kendall,  a  native 
of  Nashua,  was  Postmaster-General  from  1835  to  1837. 
Levi  Woodbury,  a  native  of  Francestown,  was  Secre- 
tary of  the  Navy  from  1831  to  1833,  and  Associate 
justice  of  the  Supreme  Court  of  the  United  States  in 
1845,  and  at  times  was  regarded  as  much  more  than  a 
presidential  possibility.  He  died  in  1851.  Nathan 
Clifford,  a  native  of  Rumney,  another  Jacksonian 
Democrat  of  the  New  Hampshire  stock,  Attorney- 
General  under  Polk  in  1846,  was  appointed  to  the 
Supreme  court  in  1857.  Gen.  Cass,  who  had  the 

31 


STATE  BUILDERS 

Democratic  nomination  for  the  Presidency  in  1848, 
closed  his  distinguished  public  career  as  Secretary  of 
State  under  President  Buchanan.  In  all  this  period  to 
the  time  of  his  death  in  1852,  stood  Webster,  another 
son  of  New  Hampshire,  without  an  equal  in  his  assem- 
blage of  talents  and  attainments  as  a  jurist,  as  an  orator 
and  as  a  statesman  among  his  contemporaries.  At  the 
same  time,  moreover,  a  new  generation  of  sons  of  the 
Granite  state  were  coming  to  place,  power  and  promi- 
nence in  the  national  arena. 

Of  New  Hampshire  senators  the  names  of  Franklin 
Pierce,  Samuel  Bell,  Levi  Woodbury,  Isaac  Hill,  Charles 
G.  Atherton,  John  P.  Hale,  Henry  Hubbard  and  John  S. 
Wells  are  easily  recalled  as  statesmen  of  national  reputa- 
tion. As  representatives  from  other  states  in  the  senate 
who  were  senators  before  1855,  and  eventually  were 
recognized  as  statesmen  of  the  first  class,  were  Wm.  Pitt 
Fessenden  and  John  A.  Dix,  both  natives  of  Boscawen, 
and  Salmon  P.  Chase,  a  native  of  Cornish.  Horace 
Greeley,  a  native  of  Amherst,  was  already  a  controlling 
force  in  journalism  which  was  moving  the  minds  of 
men  in  every  northern  state. 

Among  the  political  diversions  of  this  period  which 
gave  the  Democracy  of  this  state  no  little  concern  was  the 
Independent  Democracy  in  1842,  1843,  1844.  It  made  a 
division  of  the  party  forces  on  the  question  of  the  measure 
of  power  that  was  to  be  conceded  to  railroads  and  other 
corporations  in  their  acts  of  incorporation.  The  party 
had  righted  itself  from  this  jolt  when  another  indepen- 
dent movement  confronted  the  organization  in  1846  and 
1847.  This  was  really  important  and  far-reaching^  It 
involved  the  slavery  question  and  enabled  the  \Vhigs  and 
Free  Soilers  to  effect  a  successful  coalition  and  choose  a 
senator  of  the  United  States. 

The  contest  of  New  Hampshire  'brought  Franklin 
Pierce  and  John  P.  Hale  more  directly  and  more  prom- 

32 


STATE  BUILDERS 

inently  than  ever  before  into  the  light  of  national  pub- 
licity, and  from  this  time  on  both  were  recognized  as  na- 
tional leaders  destined  to  assume  the  most  important  rolls 
in  the  great  national  drama  that  was  impending. 

There  were  in  this  period,  however,  important  social 
and  reformatory  agitations  in  progress  through  which 
permanent  and  valuable  results  were  evolved. 

One  of  these  movements  was  in  the  line  of  temperance 
reform,  and  the  other  was  directed  against  the  institution 
of  slavery.  The  efforts  in  favor  of  the  first  of  these 
causes  was  primarily  by  means  of  associations  designed 
for  the  education  of  the  people  and  reform  by  the  forces 
of  argument  and  reason,  and  later  by  organization  of 
such  societies  as  the  Washingtonians  and  the  Sons  of 
Temperance.  The  anti-slavery  movement  found  many  in- 
tensely earnest  and  devoted  adherents.  They  were  so 
uncompromising  in  their  propaganda  that  many  of  the 
best  people  in  the  State  of  a  less  aggressive  cast  of  mincl 
regarded  them  as  genuine  fanatics. 

Doubtless  the  results  of  these  agitations  were  more 
varied  and  far  reaching  than  those  who  were  the  con- 
temporaries of  the  apostles  of  anti-slavery  realized. 

N.  P.  Rogers,  Abby  Kelley,  Stephen  S.  Foster,  Parker 
Pillsbury  and  others  were  co-workers  whose  efforts  in 
the  cause  which  they  regarded  as  paramount  over  all 
other  social  and  moral  issues,  are  the  subjects  of  Mr. 
Pilisbury's  history,  "The  Acts  of  the  Anti-Slavery  Apos- 
tles." They  were  reinforced  on  the  New  Hampshire 
platforms  by  Garrison,  Thompson,  Fred  Douglass  and 
Harriet  Martineau  in  public  speeches  and  in  newspaper 
arguments  and  by  the  Hutchinsons  by  their  even  more 
effective  singing  of  anti-slavery  songs. 

"The  Herald  of  Freedom"  was  an  influential  party 
newspaper  which  was  maintained  by  the  Abolitionists  for 
many  years.  A  political  organization  was  effected  after 
a  few  years  of  continuance  of  this  agitation,  but  its  lead- 

33 


STATE  BUILDERS 

ers  did  not  put  the  party  to  the  test  of  such  a  radical 
declaration  of  principles  as  the  unconditional  Abolition- 
ists demanded. 

The  free  soil  vote  first  appeared  in  the  candidacy  of 
Daniel  Hoit  for  Governor  in  1841,  and  it  continued  to  be 
a  factor  of  more  or  less  importance  until  1856. 

Attention  has  now  been  called  to  the  existence  of  opin- 
ions and  influences  which  were  tending  unmistakably 
towards  a  political  revolution  in  New  Hampshire. 

In  the  latter  part  of  this  period  the  long  continued 
discussion  of  the  temperance  question  and  the  develop- 
ment of  a  conviction  with  the  people  that  the  subject 
must  be  treated  in  a  more  effectual  way  than  had  before 
been  attempted  and  by  a  new  system  of  liquor  laws  were 
what  preceded  and  eventually  took  practical  form  in  the 
prohibitory  law  of  1855. 

The  militia,  which  had  formerly  reached  a  high  degree 
of  efficiency  and  had  been  so  maintained  for  more  than 
one  hundred  years,  had  now  fallen  into  decadence.  In  the 
time  of  the  Indian  wars,  the  war  of  the  Revolution  and: 
the  war  of  1812,  every  citizen  of  New  Hampshire  was  a 
trained  soldier,  and  these  were  the  men  who  fought  the 
battles  of  their  country  and  gave  the  world  a  new  nation. 

A  new  and  greater  struggle  was  impending.  Webster 
saw  it  and  foretold  it  in  prophetic  speech. 

The  military  system  of  the  state  instead  of  being  re- 
formed was  abolished. 

The  Mexican  War,  1846-1848,  was  prosecuted  at  a 
scene  of  operations  so  far  distant  that  New  Hampshire 
was  less  affected  by  it  than  it  had  been  by  any  other, 
either  of  the  colonies  or  of  the  republic.  Nevertheless 
it  responded  with  spirit  to  the  calls  of  the  president  and 
promptly  forwarded  its  quota.  Franklin  Pierce  was  made 
a,  brigadier  general  and  participated  in  Scott's  campaign. 
Several  New  Hampshire  men  who  were  afterwards  prom- 
inent in  the  Union  armies  from  1861  to  1865,  began 

34 


STATE  BUILDERS 

a  military  career  in  Mexico.  Among  these  may  he 
mentioned  George  Bowers,  Lieut.-Colonel  of  the  I3th 
Regiment;  Thomas  J.  Whipple,  Colonel  of  the  4th; 
Joseph  H.  Potter,  Colonel  of  the  I2th  and  Brigadier- 
General  of  the  regular  army;  Jesse  A.  Gove,  Colonel  of 
the  22d  Massachusetts;  John  Bedel,  Colonel  of  the  3d 
New  Hampshire  and  Brevet  Brigadier-General;  John  H. 
Jackson,  Colonel  of  the  3d  regiment;  George  Thorn,  Gen- 
eral in  the  same  war;  E.  A.  Kimball,  Lieutenant-Colonel 
of  Hawkins'  Zouaves,  ^nd  Thomas  P.  Pierce,  who  was 
appointed  Colonel  of  the  2d  New  Hampshire,  but  de- 
clined the  command.  Major  William  Wallace  Bliss  was 
Assistant  Adjutant  General  to  Gen.  Taylor.  Charles  F. 
Low  of  Concord,  Theodore  F.  Rowe  of  Portsmouth, 
Daniel  Batchelder  of  Benton  and  Noah  E.  Smith  of  Gil- 
manton  served  in  various  capacities  in  the  Mexican  War. 

Lieut.-Col.  Benj.  K.  Pierce,  a  brother  of  the  president, 
was  a  very  prominent  officer  in  the  Seminole  War.  He 
died  in  the  regular  army  from  the  effects  of  disease  in- 
curred in  Florida. 

No  revision  of  the  constitution  through  the  instrumen- 
tality of  a  delegate  convention  was  undertaken  after  1791 
until  1850.  The  convention  then  assembled  was  an  ag- 
gregation of  men  distinguished  in  various  walks  of  life, 
and  Franklin  Pierce  was  made  the  presiding  officer. 
The  changes  accomplished  were  limited  in  number,  but 
important,  progressive  and  beneficial  at  the  three  points 
of  amendment  on  which  ratification  by  the  people  was 
secured. 

The  contemporary  historical  literature  of  this  period 
comprises  the  periodical  publications  of  the  New  Hamp- 
shire Historical  Society  (founded  in  1823)  ;  the  historical 
magazine  of  Farmer  &  Moore,  begun  in  1821;  the  New 
Hampshire  Repository,  edited  by  William  Cogswell, 
1845-1847,  the  Farmers'  Monthly  Visitor,  1852-1854, 

35 


STATE  BUILDERS 

and  the  Granite  Farmer  and  Monthly  Visitor,  1854-1855, 
conducted  by  Chandler  E.  Potter. 

Whiton's  History  of  New  Hampshire,  published  in 
1834,  supposedly  to  a  certain  extent  in  the  interest  of  the 
Whig  party,  was  followed  by  Barstow's  in  1842,  in  which 
is  disclosed  a  quite  distinct  Democratic  predilection. 
Both,  however,  are  very  creditable  works.  John  Farmer's 
revision  of  Belknap's  History  also  appeared  in  1831. 

The  debates  in  the  convention  of  1850  were  reported 
in  full,  but  there  is  no  publication  of  them  except  in  the 
contemporary  files  of  the  New  Hampshire  Patriot. 

Industrial  movements  destined  to  be  of  vast  importance 
to  the  state  were  taking  form  and  resulting  in  local  es- 
tablishments at  various  points  in  these  years. 

In  1835  the  first  railroads  were  chartered,  less  than 
seventy  years  ago. 

The  great  cotton  manufacturing  industry  which  has 
now  for  so  long  a  time  been  the  backbone  of  the  state's 
industrial  stability  and  prosperity,  was  established  in  the 
first  half  of  the  century  just  ended. 

When  the  Democracy  entered  into  power  in  1816  they 
imitated  the  precedent  their  opponents  established  in 
1813,  abolishing  the  existing  system  of  courts  and  dis- 
persing the  judges  who  held  office  under  it.  It  is  to  their 
credit,  however,  that  the  court  of  which  William  M. 
Richardson  was  the  chief  justice  and  Samuel  Bell  and 
Levi  Wroodbury  the  associates,  and  those  who  succeeded 
them  in  regular  sequence  till  the  termination  of  the  Demo- 
cratic regime  in  1855,  were  of  conspicuous  learning,  char- 
acter and  judicial  ability. 

The  chief  justices  from  the  beginning  of  the  state  gov- 
ernment of  1784  had  been  Samuel  Livermore,  Josiah 
Bartlett,  John  Pickering,  Simeon  Olcott,  Jeremiah  Smith, 
Arthur  Livermore,  William  M.  Richardson,  Joel  Parker, 
John  J.  Gilchrist  and  Andrew  S.  Woods. 

The  existing  political  parties  were  now  (1854)  honey- 

36 


STATE  BUILDERS 

combed  with  disaffection  and  discordant  opinions  within 
the  party  lines  by  reason  of  the  introduction  of  new  issues, 
some  of  which,  as  for  instance  the  temperance  question 
and  the  subject  of  slavery,  involved  vital  moral  consider- 
ations. 

The  American  party,  which  marked  a  sharp  reaction 
from  the  anti-secret  society  ideas  of  the  Anti-Masonry 
epoch,  was  organized  under  esoteric  forms,  and  all  of  its 
successes  were  achieved  under  the  black  domino*.  The 
principal  issue  which  it  ostensibly  presented  wasafictitious 
one.  The  threatened  danger  of  domination  of  American 
institutions  and  American  affairs  by  the  Pope  of  Rome 
was  preposterous. 

Nevertheless  this  party  of  mushroom  growth  and  brief 
existence  served  the  purpose  of  thousands  of  discontented 
partisans  to  rearrange  their  political  alliances  and  to 
emerge  from  this  great  political  chrysalis  in  an  absolutely 
new  political  attire. 

This  was  the  end  of  the  period  of  political  ascendency 
accorded  between  1816  and  1855  to  the  democracy  of 
New  Hampshire. 


NEW  HAMPSHIRE  AND  THE  PRESIDENCY. 

It  was  among  the  decrees  of  destiny  that  the  presidency 
for  once  at  least  should  come  to  New  Hampshire.  It 
was  necessarily  ordered,  moreover,  that  this  event  should 
transpire  before  New  York  had  become  an  indispensable 
factor  in  presidential  contests;  before  Indiana  had  be- 
come pivotal ;  before  Illinois  had  become  an  imperial  com- 
monwealth; and  before  the  stars  of  Ohio  had  preempted 
the  zenith. 

From  1848  to  1872  the  sons  of  New  Hampshire  were 
to  be  reckoned  with  in  every  quadrennial  disposal  of  the 
candidacies  for  this  great  office.  Cass,  nominated  by 

37 


STATE  BUILDERS 

the  Democrats  in  1848,  was  defeated  only  by  a  mischance, 
possibly  an  accident,  possibly  by  means  not  justifiable. 

As  the  campaign  of  1852  approached,  Webster's 
friends  made  an  active  canvass  for  him  and  for  the  first 
time  his  candidacy  was  openly  and  positively  avowed.  It 
is  one  of  those  unaccountable  eccentricities  of  national 
politics,  occasionally  and  too  often  recurring,  that  a  party 
that  might  make  a  Webster  president  should  be  content 
with  a  William  Henry  Harrison,  a  Taylor,  or  a  Scott. 

Levi  Woodbury  was  under  serious  consideration  as  a 
possible  Democratic  candidate,  but  his  death  in  1851 
closed  the  book. 

John  P.  Hale  was  chosen  to  lead  the  forlorn  hope  of  the 
Free-soilers  in  1852.  This  candidacy  contained  no>  ele- 
ment of  personal  retaliation  upon  either  of  the  great  par- 
ties, as  did  that  of  Van  Buren  in  1848.  It  cast  a  side- 
light upon  the  situation  and  tendencies  in  politics  at  that 
time,  of  which  few  of  the  contemporary  politicians  were 
wise  enough  to  take  advantage  or  warning. 

Although  Webster  and  Cass  still  stood  at  the  forefront 
among  the  statesmen  of  their  time,  it  was  to  be  General 
Pierce's  triumph  and  New  Hampshire's  opportunity. 
The  president  was  to  be  one  who  was  not  only  a  son  of 
the  soil,  but  a  life-long  resident  upon  it.  He  was  elected 
by  an  overwhelming  majority.  Only  a  few  of  the  lead- 
ers in  public  thought  and  public  action  realized  as  did 
Webster  the  actual  volcanic  condition  of  the  politics  of 
that  period.  Mr.  Pierce's  administration  was  indeed  to 
conduct  national  affairs  very  near  to  the  end  of  that 
epoch.  The  portents  of  the  coming  conflict  overshad- 
owed all  the  plans,  devices  and  efforts  of  statecraft. 
President  Pierce's  official  family — Marcy,  Guthrie,  Mc- 
Clelland, Davis,  Dobbin,  Campbell,  and  Gushing — was 
one  of  the  ablest,  best  organized,  most  harmonious,  and 
most  homogeneous  American  cabinets  ever  assembled, 
and  it  had  the  unique  distinction  of  unbroken  continu- 

38 


STATE  BUILDERS 

ance  during  a  full  presidential  term".  It  was  the  policy 
of  the  party,  of  which  this  administration  was  of  neces- 
sity the  representative  and  exponent,  and  the  conditions 
of  its  political  environment  from  1853  to  1857.  and  not 
any  fault  or  failure  of  the  president  in  adhering  to  that 
policy,  however,  unwise  and  impossible  it  may  have  ap- 
peared in  the  light  of  subsequent  history,  that  rendered 
his  re-nomination  impossible.  Franklin  Pierce  adminis- 
tered his  great  office  with  statesmanlike  tact  and  acumen, 
with  notable  and  unfailing  dignity  and  courtesy,  and  with 
loyalty  to  the  principles  of  the  party  by  whose  suffrages 
he  had  been  elevated  to  the  chief  magistracy.  It  was  in 
obedience  to  the  dictates  of  party  expediency,  and  not  in 
exemplification  of  the  courage  of  political  faith  and  pur- 
pose, on  the  part  of  the  Democracy  of  1856,  that  James 
Buchanan  was  made  the  party  nominee  instead  of  Frank- 
lin Pierce. 

In  this  period,  Chase,  Hale  and  Greeley  had  already 
become  recognized  as  statesmen  of  presidential  propor- 
tions. Chase's  candidacy  for  the  Republican  nomination 
in  1860  and  1864,  and  for  that  of  the  Democracy  in  1868, 
were,  in  each  instance,  so  formidable  that,  though  unsuc- 
cessful, they  were  of  far-reaching  influence  in  national 
politics. 

The  candidacy  of  Horace  Greeley  by  nomination  of 
the  liberal  Republicans  in  1872,  with  such  a  relatively 
unimportant  associate  as  B.  Gratz  Brown,  may  have  been 
impolitic.  The  ratification  of  those  nominations  by  the 
national  Democracy  was  surprising  and  of  course  tem- 
porarily disastrous  to  the  party.  It  was,  however,  a 
change  of  front  in  line  of  battle,  and  all  the  chances  inci- 
dent to  such  a  movement  were  necessarily  taken  by  those 
party  leaders  who  were  convinced  that  no  other  course 
wras  open  to  them.  It  was  a  shifting  of  all  the  alignment 
absolutely  prerequisite  to  the  contest  which  was  opened 
under  the  leadership  of  Mr.  Tilden  in  1876. 

39 


STATE  BUILDERS 

The  one  opportunity  which  was  presented  to  General 
Butler,  and  by  the  acceptance  of  which  he  might  have 
reached  the  presidency,  was  closed  to  him  when  he  de- 
clined to  accept  the  nomination  for  the  vice-presidency, 
which  it  is  generally  conceded  was  at  one  time  at  his  dis- 
posal, on  the  Lincoln  ticket  in  1864.  His  attempt  to 
obtain  a  controlling  position  in  the  Democratic  conven- 
tion of  1884  and  his  subsequent  flank  movement  against 
the  party  which  had  nominated  Mr.  Cleveland,  both  mis- 
carried, but  his  attempt  to  compass  by  indirection  the 
election  of  Mr.  Elaine  through  his  own  candidacy  as  the 
nominee  of  the  so-called  People's  party  was  too  nearly 
successful  to  be  regarded  in  any  other  light  than  as  an 
important  episode  in  a  most  remarkable  presidential  cam- 
paign. 

Henry  Wilson  had  fairly  entered  upon  the  last  stages 
o>f  a  successful  progress  to  the  presidency  when  he  was 
made  vice-president  at  the  second  Grant  election  in  1872. 
This  peerless  organizer  was  then  the  natural,  if  not  the 
inevitable,  heir  to  the  succession.  Had  he  lived  it  was 
hardly  among  the  possibilities  that  he  could  fail  to  be 
nominated  and  elected  to  the  presidency  in  1876  or  1880, 
or  for  both  the  terms  to  which  Mr.  Hayes  and  Mr.  Gar- 
field  were  chosen. 

Zachariah  Chandler  was  regarded  as  an  important  fac- 
tor in  the  disposition  of  the  presidency,  and  his  candi- 
dacy, until  his  death  in  1879,  was  attracting  an  influential 
following. 

In  the  cabinets  of  the  war  period  the  treasury  portfolio 
was  successively  in  the  hands  of  John  A.  Dix,  in  the  last 
days  of  the  Buchanan  administration  in  1861,  and  Salmon 
P.  Chase  and  William  Pitt  Fessenden,  at  the  beginning 
of  a  Republican  regime,  until  the  end  of  the  administra- 
tion of  Mr.  Lincoln.  The  conduct  of  this  department  by 
these  three  sons  of  New  Hampshire  constitutes  the  mosc 

40 


STATE  BUILDERS 

important  chapter  in  the  financial  history  of  the  Ameri- 
can government. 

In  the  second  term  of  President  Grant,  Zachariah 
Chandler  held  the  office  of  Secretary  of  the  Interior,  Amos 
T.  Akerman  that  of  Attorney-General,  and  Marshall 
Jewell  that  of  Postmaster-General.  With  William  E. 
Chandler's  sendee  as  Secretary  in  an  important  transition 
period  in  the  history  of  the  American  navy  and  in  con- 
nection with  the  inauguration  of  far-reaching  measures 
for  the  development  of  an  adequate  American  war  marine 
in  the  term  of  President  Arthur,  the  past  record  of  New 
Hampshire  men  in  the  cabinet  is  concluded. 

Zachariah  Chandler  and  William  E.  Chandler  are  also 
regarded  as  the  Warwicks  of  the  presidential  complica- 
tions and  conditions  which  obtained  in  the  contest  be- 
tween Mr.  Tilden  and  Mr.  Hayes  in  1876,  and  their 
timely,  skilful  and  strenuous  measures  are  now  generally 
regarded  as  being  the  decisive  factors  in  the  course  of 
events  which  resulted  in  the  inauguration  of  Mr.  Hayes 
as  president. 

With  the  passing  of  the  old  school  of  statesmen  of  New 
Hampshire  nativity,  of  presidential  aspirations  and  presi- 
dential measure,  twenty  years  ago,  the  State  has  been 
practically  out  of  presidential  politics  as  it  is  related  to 
personal  candidacies.  The  latter  representatives  of  the 
virile  stock  of  the  Granite  State  are  evidently  attracted 
from  the  domain  of  national  and  local  politics  to  more 
important  and  promising  financial,  commercial  and  mate 
rial  opportunities  in  the  world's  work.  In  this  field  well- 
informed  observers  readily  recall  the  forceful  and  suc- 
cessful personalities  of  James  F.  Joy,  Edward  Tuck, 
Austin  Corbin,  Charles  W.  Pillsbury,  John  C.  Pillsbury. 
Thomas  W.  Pierce,  Frank  Jones,  Hiram  N.  Turner, 
Charles  P.  Clark,  Ezekiel  A.  Straw,  Joseph  Stickney, 
Stilson  Hutchins  and  "Long"  John  Wentworth. 

Some  time  ago,  Senator  Hoar,  in  the  Forum,  discussed 

41 


STATE  BUILDERS 

the  question  whether  the  United  States  Senate,  in  point 
of  average  ability,  had  degenerated,  comparing  it,  as  it 
was  constituted  at  the  time  of  his  writing,  with  its  mem- 
bership fifty  or  seventy-five  years  ago.  Mr.  Charles  R. 
Miller,  in  a  reply  in  the  same  magazine,  made  the  remark 
pertinent  then  to  his  purpose  and  pertinent  now  to  these 
comments,  "That  were  Webster  living  in  these  days  he 
would  neither  be  in  the  Senate  nor  in  debt." 


EVENTS  FROM  1856  TO  1866.* 

The  Republican  party  was  organized  in  New  Hamp- 
shire in  1856.  It  stood  in  full  strength  and  stature  at 
the  beginning  of  the  long  course  which  it  was  destined 
to  run, — the  yet  undetermined  period  of  control  which  it 
was  to  hold, — in  the  affairs  of  the  state. 

Pursuing  the  established  methods  of  political  warfare 
it  emphasized  the  fact  of  its  assumption  of  political  power 
by  abolishing  the  existing  court  system  and  the  creation 
of  a  new  one  supposedly  more  consonant  with  the 
changed  conditions  in  political  and  public  affairs. 

The  precedent  was  repeated  by  the  Democracy  in  1874 
and  by  the  Republicans  again  in  1876.  Twice  in  the 
intervening  years  the  court  systems  have  been  radically 
reversed  when  changes  in  party  ascendency  were  not  coin- 
cident,— first  in  1859  and  last  in  1891. 

The  chief  justices  since  1855  have  been  Ira  Perley, 
Samuel  Dana  Bell,  Henry  A.  Bellows,  Jonathan  E.  Sar- 
gent, Edmund  L.  Gushing,  Charles  Doe,  Alonzo  P.  Car- 

*  Hon.  William  E.  Chandler,  whose  active  career  in  New  Hampshire 
politics  extends  back  over  a  period  of  at  least  sixty  years,  and  who  is  still 
vigorous  and  potential  in  national  and  state  affairs,  is  contemporary  with 
the  entire  life  of  the  existing  Republican  party.  He  has  supplemented 
constant  and  intimate  connection  with  law,  politics,  journalism  and  legisla- 
tion in  his  native  state  with  a  record  of  forceful  influence  and  distinguished 
standing  and  service  in  the  domain  of  national  affairs  such  as  has  been 
accorded  to  no  other  of  his  New  Hampshire  contemporaries  since  Franklin 
Pierce  and  John  P.  Hale  attained  their  primacy. 

42 


STATE  BUILDERS 

penter,  Lewis  W.  Clark,  Isaac  N.  Blodgett  and  Frank 
N.  Parsons. 

Since  1855  the  chief  justice  of  the  circuit  or  superior 
courts  existing  at  three  periods  have  been  Jonathan  Kit- 
tredge,  Wm.  L.  Foster  and  Robert  M.  Wallace. 

The  approaching  war  between  the  states  was  at  this 
time  imminent.  It  affected  the  course  of  events  in  all 
directions.  The  representatives  of  New  Hampshire  in  the 
national  congress  in  the  period  of  the  later  discussions 
which  culminated  in  the  war  were  of  a  superior  order  of 
ability. 

Included  in  the  list  are  Isaac  Hill,  Levi  Woodbury, 
Franklin  Pierce,  Henry  Hubbard,  Harry  Hibbard,  Amos 
Tuck,  John  P.  Hale,  James  Bell,  Oilman  Marston,  Mason 
W.  Tappan  and  Daniel  Clark. 

In  the  history  of  the  first  New  Hampshire  regiment  a 
chapter  will  be  found  on  the  subject  of  "The  relation  of 
New  Hampshire  men  to  the  events  which  culminated 
in  the  War  of  the  Rebellion,"  by  William  F.  Whitcher. 
It  is  a  treatment  of  this  theme  which  could  not  here  be 
improved  upon,  and  therefore  it  need  not  be  attempted. 
Any  subject  that  is  already  well  treated  is  sufficiently 
treated. 

The  opposition  to  Lincoln  and  Hamlin  in  New  Hamp- 
shire in  1860  was  divided  into  three  factions,  although 
one  candidate  and  his  associate  would  have  needed  all 
the  votes  that  were  available. 

The  state  administration  when  Sumter  fell  was  con- 
fronted by  a  difficult  situation.  President  Lincoln  had 
called  for  a  regiment  of  New  Hampshire  men  for  three 
months'  service.  There  was  no  emergency  war  fund  in 
the  New  Hampshire  treasury,  no  efficient  existing  militia 
system  and  no  legislature  in  session.  The  Governor,  how- 
ever, procured  the  means  of  equipping  the  regiment  upon 
his  own  credit  and  the  credit  of  patriotic  banks  and  indi- 
viduals, and  Congressman  Tappan,  who  was  given  the 

43 


STATE  BUILDERS 

colonelcy,  had  the  first  New  Hampshire  regiment  in  the 
field  before  the  legislature  was  assembled. 

In  the  intervening  war  period  Ichobod  Goodwin,  Na- 
thaniel S.  Berry  and  Joseph  A.  Gilmore  were  the  war 
governors.  Frederic  Smyth,  sometimes  erroneously  des- 
ignated as  a  war  governor,  was  not  inaugurated  as  Chief 
Magistrate  until  June,  1865,  when  the  war  had  been  con- 
cluded. 

Seventeen  full  regiments  of  infantry  were  sent  into  the 
service  from  New  Hampshire.  Col.  Kent's  regiment  (the 
seventeenth),  which  was  nearly  filled,  was  not  mustered. 
A  large  part  of  the  men  raised  for  it  by  its  organizer 
were  assigned  to  other  regiments.  The  remaining  part 
was  consolidated  with  the  veteran  second  regiment. 

The  state  also  contributed  a  battalion  of  cavalry,  after- 
wards augmented  to  a  regiment,  three  companies  of  sharp 
shooters,  a  battery  of  light  artillery  and  a  regiment  of 
heavy  artillery.  Besides  these  it  furnished  a  liberal  num- 
ber of  sailors  for  the  navy. 

As  has  been  observed  by  the  writer  in  another  connec- 
tion, perhaps  the  most  remarkable  feature  of  the  history 
of  New  Hampshire  in  relation  to  the  war  for  the  union, 
is  disclosed  in  the  following  statement : — 

"In  the  war  period  sons  of  New  Hampshire  moved  in 
important  spheres  of  national  influence.  Only  a  few  of 
the  names  on  that  remarkable  list  need  be  recalled  to  give 
point  to  this  observation.  In  the  United  States  Senate, 
Henry  Wilson,  native  of  Farmington,  was  chairman  of 
the  committee  on  military  affairs;  John  P.  Hale,  native 
of  Rochester,  chairman  of  the  committee  on  naval  affairs; 
William  Pitt  Fessenden,  native  of  Boscawen,  chairman  of 
the  committee  on  finance  and  appropriations;  James  W. 
Grimes,  native  of  Deering,  chairman  of  the  committee 
on  the  District  of  Columbia;  Zachariah  Chandler,  native 
of  Bedford,  chairman  of  the  committee  on  commerce;  and 
Daniel  Clark,  native  of  Stratham,  chairman  of  the  com- 

44 


STATE  BUILDERS 

mittee  on  claims.  Salmon  P.  Chase,  native  of  Cornish, 
was  Secretary  of  the  Treasury  and  author  of  the  finan- 
cial legislation  which  produced  the  sinews  of  war.  Horace 
Greeley,  native  of  Amherst,  was.  the  greatest  intellectual 
force  in  the  journalism  of  that  time.  Charles  A.  Dana, 
native  of  Hinsdale,  was  assistant  secretary  of  war,  and 
known  as  "the  eyes  of  the  war  department."  John  A. 
Dix,  native  of  Boscawen,  Benjamin  F.  Butler,  native  of 
Deerfield,  John  G.  Foster,  native  of  Whitefield,  one  of 
the  defenders  of  Sumter,  and  Fitz-John  Porter,  native  of 
Portsmouth,  whose  historic  fight  for  the  vindication  of  his 
good  name  and  soldierly  reputation,  as  admirable  in  its 
courage  and  persistency  as  it  was  successful  in  the  result, 
were  major-generals.  Walter  Kittredge,  native  of  Mer- 
rimack,  wrote  'Tenting  on  the  Old  Camp  Ground.' 
Charles  Carleton  Coffin,  native  of  Boscawen,  the  war  cor- 
respondent, wrote  the  histories  of  the  war  which  are 
most  read  by  the  youth  of  the  land. 

"The  lives  of  these  men,  written  and  unwritten,  consti- 
tute a  part  of  the  history  of  the  period  of  strong  agita- 
tion, civil  war,  and  reconstruction  so  important  and  exten- 
sive that  it  is  appreciated  only  by  those  who  have  made 
the  most  profound  study  of  the  events  which  they  influ- 
enced. Several  of  them  were  distinguished  contributors 
of  elaborate  works  devoted  to  the  history  of  their  time." 

While  it  is  conceded  that  New  Hampshire  contributed 
no  great  leader  in  the  war  for  the  Union  who  could  fairly 
be  assigned  to  the  class  with  Grant,  Sherman,  Sheridan 
and  Thomas,  it  can  be  asserted  with  absolute  confidence 
that  every  New  Hampshire  regiment  was  composed  of 
a  superior  class  of  citizen  soldiers,  and  that  every  regi- 
ment was  led  by  patriotic,  brave  and  capable  commanders. 

"Nearly  all  these  regiments  have  performed  the  patri- 
otic duty  since  the  war  of  publishing  elaborate  regimental 
histories.  These  books  record  the  fact  that  Ladd,  the 
first  man  who  fell  in  the  sixth  Massachusetts  in  Baltimore, 

45 


STATE  BUILDERS 

was  a  son  of  New  Hampshire;  that  the  fifth  regiment 
lost  more  men  in  battle  than  any  other  infantry  regiment 
in  the  Union  army;  that  the  seventh  lost  more  officers  in 
a  single  engagement  (Fort  Wagner)  than  any  other  in- 
fantry regiment  in  the  Union  army:  that  the  men  of  the 
twelfth  and  thirteenth  regiments  were  the  first  organized 
bodies  to  enter  Richmond;  that  the  percentage  of  loss  by 
the  twelfth  was  greater  than  that  of  the  fifth;  that  the 
losses  of  the  ninth  and  sixteenth  from  exposure  and  other 
causes  place  the  debt  due  to  them  for  devotion  and  sacri- 
fice among  the  first  in  the  fateful  catalogue;  that  the 
other  regiments  exhibit  records  of  singular  distinction 
according  to  their  opportunities  in  the  service;  and  they 
prove  that,  relating  to  every  one  of  these  organizations, 
there  is  most  valuable  historical  material  which  renders 
their  publications  indispensable  to  any  measurably  com- 
plete collection  of  Americana. 

"Indeed,  so  abundant  is  the  information  available  to  the 
student  of  this  series  of  histories,  so  great  is  its  value,  and 
so  striking  is  the  lesson  of  good  citizenship  and  patriotism 
it  teaches,  that  indifference  to  it  is  discreditable  to  the 
system  under  which  our  youth  are  passing  from  the 
period  of  scholastic  instruction  to  the  active  duties  and 
responsibilities  of  private  business  or  public  service. 

"It  is  not  an  unimportant  consideration  that  the  histo- 
rians of  these  events  were  the  actors  in  them.  Every  pass- 
age in  the  narratives  is  a  statement  of  fact  under  the  light 
and  guidance  of  actual  experience,  but  with  a  modest  and 
cautious  reserve  which  excludes  that  over-coloring  of  im- 
agination and  exaggeration  that  often  mars  the  pages  of 
history." 

"  A  wonderful  man  was  this  Caesar, 
Who  could  both  write  and  fight,  and  in  both  was  equally  skillful." 


46 


STATE  BUILDERS 

PROGRESS  FROM  1866  TO  1903. 

With  the  exception  of  the  brief  interval  of  war  with 
Spain  in  1898,  the  opportunities  of  the  people  of  New 
Hampshire  have  been  those  which  only  a  long  period  of 
peace  can  afford. 

In  the  administration  of  Gov.  George  A.  Ramsdell  the 
state  furnished  its  quota  for  the  last  foreign  war.  This 
was  a  full  regiment  of  three  battalions  commanded  by  Col. 
Robert  H.  Rolfe.  It  was  assigned  to  the  concentration 
camp  at  Chickamauga,  served  for  a  period  of  six  months 
and  returned  without  having  been  afforded  an  opportunity 
to  test  its  quality  at  the  front  of  battle.  There  is  no  doubt 
that  had  the  coveted  post  of  honor  been  granted  to  these 
men  as  it  was  to  the  New  Hampshire-born  leader  of  the 
"Rough  Riders"  at  Santiago  (Gen.  Leonard  Wood), 
they  also  would  have  demonstrated  what  the  traditions 
and  tutelage  of  Stark,  Miller  and  Cross  mean  for  the 
military  spirit  which  will  now  and  hereafter  bear  aloft 
the  standards  of  the  state  and  the  Union. 

This  regiment  was  equipped  and  sent  to  the  southern 
rendezvous  upon  the  responsibility  assumed  by  the  exec- 
utive department  very  much  in  accordance  with  the 
precedent  set  in  1861. 

Sometime  this  experience  in  such  a  critical  emergency 
as  a  call  for  troops  in  the  face  of  imminent  national  neces- 
sity will  suggest  to  the  legislature  the  importance  of  a 
permanent  provision  of  law  under  which  the  executive 
may  act  effectively  and  promptly  without  assuming  the 
personal  pecuniary  responsibility  involved  in  the  equip- 
ment of  a  regiment  for  immediate  duty  or  the  expense  of 
a  special  session  of  the  legislature. 

At  this  time  there  is  promise  of  national  aid  to  the 
National  Guard  of  the  state,  and  an  apparent  certainty 
that  the  New  Hampshire  military  system  already  entitled 
to  commendation  for  its  efficiency  will  deserve  to  rank 

47 


STATE  BUILDERS 

with  the  most  approved  military  establishments  in  the 
Union. 

The  brigade  now  in  command  of  Gen.  Jason  H.  Tolles 
consists  of  two  three-battalion  regiments  of  infantry,  a 
company  of  cavalry  and  a  battery  of  artillery  with  a  total 
strength  of  twelve 'hundred  and  forty-five  men  and  one 
hundred  and  ten  officers. 

The  story  of  New  Hampshire  in  the  last  half  century 
is  one  of  great  industrial  prosperity  and  progress.  The 
details  and  proofs  of  this  advancement  of  the  state  along 
the  lines  of  its  individual  industries  are  the  subjects  of 
dry  statistical  demonstration.  Agriculture  has  waited 
long  for  the  coming  of  its  share  in  the  material  tri- 
umphs of  industry  and  enterprise.  The  wide-spread  de- 
velopment of  the  vast  and  varied  resources  of  the  con- 
tinent has  at  length  produced  a  stimulating  and  beneficial 
effect  upon  eastern  agriculture. 

The  present  status  of  this  industry  as  compared  with 
previous  decades  cannot  be  accurately  determined  until 
the  latest  statistics  gathered  by  the  federal  census  are 
published. 

The  business  of  farming  suffered  seriously  from  ad- 
verse conditions  which  it  encountered  after  the  change 
of  values  which  accompanied  the  resumption  of  specie 
payments  and  the  falling  off  of  war  prices,  the  influx  of 
low-priced  meats  and  cereals  from  the  west,  the  increas- 
ing tendency  of  farmers'  boys  and  girls  to  quit  the  ances- 
tral occupation  for  other  and  supposedly  more  profitable 
or  more  inviting  employments,  and  the  deterioration  of 
farm  lands  in  productive  capacity. 

On  the  other  hand,  the  improvement  of  transportation 
facilities,  the  introduction  of  more  scientific  methods  of 
agriculture,  the  social  and  industrial  organizations  of 
fanners,  technical  education  in  this  calling  and  the 
secondary  effects  of  such  technical  education,  the  special- 
ization and  concentration  of  farm  labor  and  investment 


STATE  BUILDERS 

upon  the  treatment  of  those  classes  of  live  stock  and 
products  against  which  outside  competition  is  not  disas- 
trous, and  the  growth  of  new  and  larger  demands  for 
local  farm  products  by  the  summer  hotels,  the  lumbermen 
and  the  increasing  population  of  the  manufacturing  cen- 
tres in  convenient  access  to  the  several  farm  districts  have 
combined  with  other  influences  to  set  the  tide  of  business 
prosperity  again  in  strong  current  in  favor  of  this  indus- 
try. 

It  has  transpired  that  the  largest  increase  in  prices  now 
paid  for  the  ordinary  necessities  of  life  are  for  farm 
products.  This  condition  is  happily  affording  farmers 
a  substantial  advantage,  and  its  beneficial  effects  are  not 
only  advancing  the  interests  of  those  actually  engaged  in 
agriculture,  but  are  also  promoting  the  general  prosperity 
which  is  always  intimately  related  to  the  business  of  cul- 
tivating the  soil — that  basic  occupation  upon  which  all 
sound  industrial  progress  and  business  stability  is  estab- 
lished and  is  dependent. 

These  far-reaching  changes  in  social,  educational,  and 
industrial  conditions  in  this  State,  as  related  immediately 
to  agriculture,  have  not  been  wrought  out  without  well 
directed  sagacious,  patient,  timely,  and  disinterested  ef- 
fort on  the  part  of  representative  and  patriotic  farmers. 
The  industrial  history  of  the  years  intervening  since  the 
end  of  the  war  for  the  Union  discloses  the  activity  and 
achievements  of  a  band  of  devoted,  tireless,  intelligent 
and  progressive  laborers  in  this  direction.  The  results  of 
their  efforts  through  organization  have  been  what  state 
laws  and  the  agencies  of  government  could  never  do  for 
those  engaged  in  the  business  of  agriculture.  A  con- 
spicuous member  of  this  group,  Nahum  J.  Bachelder,  has 
for  twenty  years  or  more  been  a  stimulating,  organizing, 
and  directing  force  in  the  advancement  of  these  under- 
takings and  in  the  accomplishment  of  beneficent  results. 
His  influence  long  ago  passed  beyond  the  boundaries  of 

49 


STATE  BUILDERS 

the  state.  It  augurs  well  for  the  business  side  of  agri- 
culture as  well  as  .its  social  and  educational  relations  that 
such  an  organizer,  leader  and  conservator  has  unre- 
servedly devoted  himself  and  the  best  years  of  his  life  to 
this  cause. 

The  political  history  of  the  state  since  the  war  for  the 
Union  is  replete  with  interesting  events  and  incidents. 
Until  1896,  with  the  exception  of  a  significant  and  with 
many  of  its  participants  a  permanent  revolt  from  the  Re- 
publican party  in  1872,  political  alignments  had  been  very 
strictly  maintained  and  political  contests  had  usually  had 
more  or  less  of  the  hazard  of  uncertainty.  Not  infre- 
quently the  Democracy  succeeded  in  electing  a  member  of 
Congress  while  they  were  always  represented  in  the  state 
senate,  and  it  was  only  in  rare  instances  that  they  failed 
to  have  an  executive  councillor  in  the  state  administration. 
Indeed,  in  both  1871  and  1874,  by  controlling  the  legis- 
lature, they  elected  a  governor.  The  governors  of  the 
state  since  the  organization  of  the  Republican  party  have 
usually  been  of  other  callings  than  that  of  the  law.  Four 
of  the  modern  incumbents  of  the  office,  though  educated 
to  that  profession,  had  retired  from  active  practice  and 
engaged  in  other  pursuits  at  the  time  of  their  election  to 
the  governorship. 

In  a  period  of  forty-five  years  Hon.  Chester  B.  Jordan 
is  the  only  governor  who  at  the  same  time  continued  in  ac- 
tive practice  in  the  legal  profession.  In  the  same  period  the 
majority  of  the  senators  and  members  in  Congress  were 
lawyers.  In  four  congresses,  ho\vever,  the  48th,  49th, 
5oth  and  5ist,  it  happened  that  no  lawyer  was  elected 
to  the  house  from  this  state.  It  is  another  singular  fact 
that  the  recent  election  of  a  member  of  congress  for  a  fifth 
successive  term  is  without  precedent  in  New  Hampshire. 
Indeed,  three  terms  have  seldom  been  accorded  to  a  rep- 
resentative. The  senators  have  been  dealt  with  in  a 
similar  fashion  until  recent  years.  Senator  Chandler 

5° 


STATE  BUILDERS 

passed  the  limit  and  Senator  Gallinger  has  had  the  ex- 
traordinary experience  of  elections  to  three  full  terms.  Of 
course  the  interests  of  the  state  have  suffered  the  penalty 
in  a  representation  in  a  great  number  of  congresses  by 
men  usually  of  a  superior  order  of  ability  and  special 
fitness  for  the  service  but  laboring  constantly  at  disad- 
vantage by  reason  of  the  superior  power  and  prestige 
acquired  by  representatives  from  other  states  in  long  con- 
tinued re-elections. 

The  legislature  became  biennial  and  the  senate  was  in- 
creased to  twenty-four  members,  while  the  term  of  the 
governor  and  other  state  officers  was  extended  to  two 
years  in  1878  as  a  result  of  constitutional  amendments 
emanating  from  the  convention  of  1876. 

The  legislative  history  of  the  post-bellum  years  is  in- 
teresting and  important. 

Oilman  Marston  and  Harry  Bingham,  by  reason  of 
their  towering  intellectual  ability,  rugged  honesty  and 
persistent  devotion  to  the  business  of  legislation,  are 
rightfully  termed  the  "great  commoners"  in  the  general 
court  of  New  Hampshire. 

Three  constitutional  conventions  have  occurred  since 
the  amendments  of  1850,  one  in  1876,  one  in  1889 
and  one  in  1902.  Of  the  first  Hon.  Daniel  Clark  was 
president,  of  the  second  Hon.  Chas.  H.  Bell,  and  of  the 
third  Gen.  Frank  S.  Streeter.  The  amendments  which 
resulted  from  these  conventions  were  with  a  few  notable 
exceptions  such  as  did  not  accomplish  radical  changes  in 
the  organic  law. 

Manufacturing  has  been  largely  increased  since  1866 
in  the  variety  of  the  plants  and  in  the  value  of  the  product. 
The  Amoskeag  continues  to  hold  its  rank  as  the  largest 
single  establishment  for  the  manufacture  of  cotton  goods 
in  the  world.  The  New  Hampshire  lumber  mills  at  Berlin 
and  Lincoln  have  been  developed  and  improved  in  recent 
years  until  they  are  among  the  most  extensive  and  the 


STATE  BUILDERS 

best  equipped  in  the  United  States.  The  business  of 
manufacturing  wood  pulp  in  this  state  represents  the 
highest  degree  of  modern  progress  in  that  industry,  and 
a  vast  investment  of  capital.  The  manufacture  of  shoes, 
hosiery  and  woollens  in  this  period  has  assumed  strikingly 
large  proportions  in  New  Hampshire.  The  catalogue  of 
minor  manufacturing  industries  that  are  well  established 
and  profitable  is  extensive  and  suggestive  of  the  proba- 
bility of  greater  development  in  many  existing  lines  of 
manufacturing  enterprise,  and  many  yet  to  be  inaugur- 
ated. 

The  state  is  becoming  the  home  and  place  of  sojourn 
of  thousands  of  those  who  are  seeking  recreation  and 
location  in  a  region  of  the  most  beautiful  climate  and  the 
grandest  ocean  and  mountain  scenery  on  the  eastern  side 
of  the  national  domain. 

Recent  statistics  of  this  business  exhibit  an  investment 
of  $10,442,352  in  the  state.  The  help  employed  in  1899 
was  12,354,  with  wages  of  $539,901.  Two  hundred  and 
four  towns  were  entertaining  summer  tourists  and  so- 
journers.  More  than  twenty  thousand  of  these  people 
occupied  cottages  in  1899.  They  were  also  patronizing 
several  hundred  hotels  and  one  thousand  six  hundred  and 
twenty-four  farm  houses.  The  volume  of  this  business 
estimated  by  cash  receipts  from  it  in  1899  was  nearly 
seven  million  of  dollars. 

It  is  not  within  the  province  of  this  epitome  to  enter 
into  the  limitless  extensions  of  ecclesiastical  and  educa- 
tional statistics.  The  later  history  of  religion  and  educa- 
tion in  this  state  may  be  summarized  and  condensed,  for 
the  present  purpose,  into  a  few  statements.  In  the  cities 
and  large  centres  of  population  the  provisions  for  educa- 
tion of  youth  and  for  religious  worship  and  religious 
teaching  are  such  as  afford  superior  privileges.  In  the 
remote  and  partially  depopulated  towns  people  have  not 
kept  up  the  rate  of  progress  in  respect  to  church  exten- 

52 


STATE  BUILDERS 

sion  and  educational  opportunities  that  is  apparent  in 
the  more  wealthy  and  populous  districts.  This  is  inevi- 
table under  existing  conditions  and  methods.  It  is  within 
the  power  of  each  religious  denomination  to  remedy  this 
state  of  affairs  for  itself  as  regards  the  present  disparity 
in  the  maintenance  of  religious  teaching,  institutions  and 
organizations  in  different  localities.  The  state  must  re- 
form its  system  of  local  congestion  of  school  expendi- 
tures and  provide  a  common  school  education,  first  class 
in  every  respect,  to  the  completion  of  the  grammar  grade, 
where  all  the  youth  of  school  age  in  any  school  district 
can  have  just  as  complete  common  school  opportunities  as 
their  fellows  who  happen  to  have  been  born  in  a  large 
town  or  a  prosperous  city. 

The  light  of  the  sun  and  the  free  air  are  the  property 
of  everybody  everywhere  and  in  perfect  equality  of  privi- 
lege and  possession.  To  a  certain  extent  on  a  similar 
principle  of  equality  and  freedom,  reasonable  and  ade- 
quate educational  opportunities  and  wholesome  religious 
and  moral  teaching  should  be  ensured  in  every  locality  so 
that  the  young  everywhere  within  the  limits  of  school 
age  may  have  a  fair  start  in  education  and  morals.  The 
two  weak  places  in  our  educational  scheme  are  in  the 
poverty  of  school  privileges  in  numerous  localities  and 
the  absence  outside  the  cities  of  intelligent,  capable  and 
systematic  supervision  of  the  schools  according  to  a  plan 
by  which  the  entire  state  would  be  divided  into  super- 
vision districts  and  a  trained  professional  educator  placed 
in  charge  of  each  district. 

New  Hampshire  has  not  been  such  a  field  as  some 
other  localities  have  been  to  attract  great  preachers  to 
service  within  her  borders.  A  study  of  the  biographical 
data  relative  to  the  native  ministry  collected  by  Rev.  N. 
F.  Carter,  however,  discloses  a  surprisingly  large  num- 
ber of  preachers  and  teachers  who  have  gone  out  from 
the  parishes  of  this  state  and  engaged  in  religious  work 

53 


STATE  BUILDERS 

in  all  sections  of  this  country  and  abroad  in  all  parts  of 
the  field  of  general  missions.  At  the  extremes  of  a  cen- 
tury the  distinguished  careers  of  Samuel  Langdon  and 
Nathan  Lord  will  be  observed, — one  going  from  this 
state  to  the  presidency  of  Harvard  and  the  other  coming 
from  another  state  to  the  presidency  of  Dartmouth, — 
both  great  lights  in  theology,  education  and  political 
science.  The  list  of  men  eminent  in  the  church  who  are 
natives  of  New  Hampshire  is  indeed  remarkable.  In 
that  roll  will  be  found  the  names  of  Benjamin  Randall, 
founder  of  the  Free  Baptist  denomination;  Hosea  Bal- 
lou,  founder  of  modern  Universalism;  Carlton  Chase, 
Philander  Chase,  and  William  Bell  White  Howe,  Bishops 
of  the  Protestant  Episcopal  Church;  Osmon  C.  Baker, 
Bishop  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church;  Alonzo  A. 
Miner,  theologian,  college  president,  and  reformer; 
James  Freeman  Clarke,  preacher  and  author;  Samuel 
C.  Bartlett,  author  and  educator;  and  Francis  Brown, 
eminent  in  theological  instruction  and  as  a  religious  au- 
thority. 

The  Right  Rev.  Denis  M.  Bradley,  Roman  Catholic 
Bishop  of  Manchester,  and  the  Right  Rev.  William 
Woodruff  Niles,  Protestant  Episcopal  Bishop  of  New 
Hampshire,  are  both  distinguished  prelates  and  adminis- 
trators, whose  labors  have  been  marked  by  material  and 
spiritual  progress  and  achievement  in  contemporary  epis- 
copacies covering  unusually  long  periods. 

Theological  education  has  not  been  neglected  in  the 
past  in  this  state.  Both  the  Baptist  and  the  Free  Baptist 
denominations  have  had  at  different  times  theological 
seminaries  at  New  Hampton.  The  Biblical  Institute  at 
Concord  was  the  nucleus  from  which  the  theological  de- 
partment of  Boston  University  was  developed,  as  the 
New  Hampton  school  was  transferred  to  Lewiston  to 
constitute  the  theological  department  at  Bates  College. 

54 


STATE  BUILDERS 

A  theological  seminary  of  good  repute  was  maintained 
many  years  at  Gilmanton  by  the  Congregationalists. 

The  college  of  St.  Anselm  at  Manchester,  established 
in  recent  years,  has  taken  high  rank  as  an  educational 
institution  of  the  youth  between  the  high  schools  and  the 
academies  and  the  post  graduate  professional  schools. 

Dartmouth  since  the  conclusion  of  the  administration 
of  Nathan  Lord  has  more  than  doubled  its  resources,  its 
buildings  and  its  corps  of  instructors.  The  most  con- 
spicuous and  perhaps  the  most  important  addition  to  its 
departments  is  the  Tuck  post-graduate  school  designed 
foi  the  higher  special  education  of  men  intending  to  en- 
gage in  those  lines  of  business  which  are  not  included  or 
provided  for  in  the  ordinary  professional  schools. 

The  Normal  School  at  Plymouth  is  permanently  estab- 
lished and  supported  by  the  state  on  constantly  progres- 
sive methods  and  increasing  financial  and  instructional 
provisions  for  its  work.  It  stands  well  in  line  with  the 
better  class  of  institutions  of  its  kind. 

The  local  high  schools  in  most  of  the  large  towns  and 
smaller  cities  have  been  established  since  the  war  with 
facilities  of  instruction  and  curriculum  to  cover  the  aca- 
demic courses  and  those  required  for  admission  to  college. 

The  state  library,  a  model  institution  of  its  kind,  with 
every  modern  equipment  appropriate  to  an  institution  of 
its  standing  in  the  domain  of  library  progress,  and  more 
than  two  hundred  local  free  libraries  are  no  inconsiderable 
re-enforcement  of  the  educational  system.  Indeed,  a  free 
library  is  now  within  the  reach  of  every  citizen  and  every 
youth  of  the  state. 

The  College  of  Agriculture  and  Mechanic  arts,  at  first 
established  at  Hanover  upon  a  federal  foundation,  in  the 
administration  of  President  Smith,  but  re-established  at 
Durham  by  act  of  the  legislature  prior  to  the  administra- 
tion of  President  Murkland,  and  known  as  the  State  Col- 
lege, has  been  the  beneficiary  of  a  large  endowment  by 

55 


STATE  BUILDERS 

Benj.  Thompson  and  liberal  aid  from  the  state.  It  has 
every  prospect  of  phenomenal  prosperity  and  usefulness, 
as  its  resources  are  organized,  directed  and  concentrated 
upon  that  department  of  education  which  was  within  the 
design  of  congress  and  its  later  benefactor  in  the  pro- 
vision of  the  financial  foundations. 

Among  the  more  influential  exponents  of  journalism 
who  have  been  identified  with  the  newspapers  of  the  state 
past  and  present  may  be  mentioned  Isaac  Hill,  Nathaniel 
P.  Rogers,  George  G.  Fogg,  Asa  McFarland.  John  B. 
Clarke,  William  E.  Chandler  and  Orrin  C.  Moore. 

In  the  more  national  field  of  this  fourth  profession, 
beyond  question  the  primate  was  Horace  Greeley. 
Commanding  position  has  also>  been  held  by  a  number  of 
other  sons  of  New  Hampshire  in  journalistic  labor  and 
enterprise.  While  there  are  many  who  are  doubtless 
entitled  to  mention  in  this  class,  it  certainly  is  not  permis- 
sible to  omit  the  mention  of  Charles  A.  Dana,  The  Sun, 
New  York;  Charles  G.  Green,  The  Boston  Post;  Stilson 
Hutchins,  The  Washington  Post;  Horace  White,  The 
New  York  Evening  Post;  and  Charles  R.  Miller,  The 
New  York  Times. 

Charles  Carleton  Coffin,  Thomas  W.  Knox,  and  Frank 
B.  Sanborn  have  attained  to  positions  in  the  highest  ranks 
of  able  and  successful  newspaper  correspondents. 

There  are  many  noted  New  Hampshire  names  which 
are  familiar  in  other  fields  of  journalistic  achievement, 
besides  those  which  are  or  have  been  identified  with  the 
great  metropolitan  daily  newspapers. 

In  this  list  are  John  A.  Dix,  James  T.  Field,  Jeremiah 
E.  Rankin,  B.  P.  Shillaber  ("Mrs.  Partington"  ) ,  Alonzo 
H.  Quint,  Moses  A.  Dow,  John  Wentworth  ("Long 
John"),  Harris  M.  Plaisted,  Enoch  M.  Pingree,  Nathan- 
iel Green,  Thomas  B.  Aldrich,  Edwin  D.  Mead,  Francis 
Ambrose  Eastman,  George  B.  James,  Nelson  Ebenezer 
Cobleigh,  John  B.  Bouton,  Thomas  G.  Fessenden,  Na- 

56 


STATE  BUILDERS 

thaniel  A.  Haven,  George  W.  Kendall,  John  Farmer, 
Jacob  Bailey  Moore,  O.  W.  B.  Peabody,  J.  V.  B.  Smith, 
Baron  Stowe. 

A  number  of  talented  women,  natives  of  the  state, 
have  been  contributors  to  various  newspapers  and  other 
periodicals  as  well  as  to  the  general  literature  of  their 
time,  prominent  in  this  category  being  Sarah  J.  Hale, 
Eliza  B.  Lee,  Sarah  Towne  Martin,  Constance  F.  Wool- 
son,  Edna  Dean  Proctor  and  Sarah  Orne  Jewett. 

Since  the  business  of  railroading  was  inaugurated  in 
this  state  less  than  seventy  years  ago  its  growth  has  kept 
in  equal  step  with  the  development  of  commerical  re- 
quirements. The  present  mileage,  119030-100  miles 
of  main  track  and  521  92-100  of  sidings  is  greater  in 
proportion  to  wealth  and  population  than  in  the  case 
of  any  other  New  England  state.  The  three  stages  of 
construction,  competition  and  consolidation  have  been 
well  illustrated  in  New  Hampshire.  From  1870  to 
1890  intervened  a  period  of  railroad  war  which  di- 
vided the  people  as  partisans  of  one  railroad  system 
or  the  other,  and  this  allegiance  resembled  in  many  ways 
the  fealty  which  men  have  accorded  to  political  par- 
ties. Since  industrial  peace  ensued  after  the  termination 
of  the  wars  of  the  rival  railroad  corporations,  and  a  single 
system  has  been  developed  and  perfected,  all  the  other 
industries  of  the  state  have  felt  the  impetus  and  had  the 
benefits  of  enlarged  and  highly  organized  railroad  facili- 
ties, the  extension  of  railroad  lines,  the  marked  reduc- 
tion of  rates,  both  in  passenger  and  freight  service,  and 
innumerable  administrative  reforms. 

The  activities  and  organizations  into  which  the  people 
.of  the  state  have  entered  in  the  time  of  this  generation  are 
indeed  worthy  of  more  extended  review  than  can  be  given 
the  subject  in  this  connection.  For  the  promotion  oi 
state  industries,  the  Board  of  Agriculture,  though  of  ear- 
lier establishment,  has  in  recent  years  been  so  organized. 

57 


STATE  BUILDERS 

directed  and  supplied  by  increased  state  support  that  it 
has  become  a  most  efficient  stimulus  to  the  cause  which 
it  is  intended  to  subserve. 

Ancillary  to  the  work  of  the  Board  of  Agriculture  is 
that  of  the  Cattle  Commission  and  the  commissioners  of 
veterinary  examination. 

The  Board  of  Charities  and  Correction  is  a  progressive 
and  useful  organization  which  has  accomplished  impor- 
tant results  in  reform  of  pre-existing  systems  and  time- 
worn  methods  relating  to  the  public  care,  custody  and 
management  of  prisoners,  the  dependent  poor,  and  other 
wards  of  the  State. 

The  insane  asylum,  now  known  as  the  state  hospital, 
was  established  in  1838  and  has  been  supported  in  part 
by  private  benefactions  and  in  part  by  state  appropria- 
tions with  constantly  increasing  capacity  for  meeting  the 
purposes  for  which  it  was  instituted. 

On  parallel  lines  of  state  aid  in  the  industrial  develop- 
ment of  the  state,  the  Forestry  Commissioners,  the  Labor 
Bureau,  the  Inspector  of  Steamboats  and  the  Fish  and 
Game  Commission  are  well  equipped  for  efficient  public 
service. 

The  Industrial  School  at  Manchester  and  the  recently 
established  school  at  Laconia  are  designed  to  accomplish 
educational  results  for  special  classes  which  could  not 
properly  be  within  the  scope  of  the  common  schools  or 
any  other  method  of  instruction. 

The  Bank  Commissioners,  the  Insurance  Commissioners 
and  the  Railroad  Commissioners  having  certain  advisory, 
investigating  and  directory  functions,  are  intermediaries 
between  the  people  and  three  classes  of  corporations. 

In  the  department  of  conservation  of  the  public  health 
and  of  preventive  medicine,  the  State  Board  of  Public 
Health  with  a  well  equipped  and  well  directed  central 
office  and  working  station,  is  fulfilling  an  important  mis- 
sion at  the  capital  and  throughout  the  state.  With  this 

58 


STATE  BUILDERS 

department,  in  classification,  the  various  boards  of  medi- 
cal examination, — the  Boards  of  Registration  in  the  dif- 
ferent schools  of  the  medical  profession, — of  registration 
in  dentistry  and  registration  in  pharmacy  may  be  also 
mentioned.  To  this  division  of  the  public  service  the 
state  bacteriological  laboratory  is  assigned  as  well  as  the 
bureau  of  vital  statistics. 

The  Soldiers'  Home  at  Tilton  and  the  Veterans'  Camp 
at  Weirs  are  both  visible  monuments  of  the  state's  appre- 
ciation of  ''what  they  were  and  what  they  did"  who  gave 
service  and  imperilled  life  in  camp  and  battle. 

The  Grand  Army  of  the  Republic,  the  Veterans'  Asso- 
ciation, the  Woman's  Relief  Corps,  the  Sons  of  Veterans, 
and  many  other  patriotic  and  historic  associations  are 
serving  beneficent  purposes  and  keeping  bright  the  mili- 
tary spirit  and  the  memory  of  a  heroic  past,  and  making 
sure  the  perpetuation  of  that  love  of  state  and  country 
which  renders  impossible  no  labor  and  no  sacrifice  when 
freemen  shall  again  be  summoned  to  the  nation's  defence. 

The  State  of  New  Hampshire  is  to-day  abreast  of  all 
the  commonwealths  of  the  Union  in  the  advancing  civili- 
zation of  the  age.  Her  progress  and  her  prosperity  are 
upon  sure  foundations.  There  are  no  omens  of  evil  in  her 
future  except  those  which  a  self-reliant  and  progressive 
people  may  confront  with  courage  and  confidence. 


59 


EDUCATION  IN  NEW  HAMPSHIRE 
BY  JAMES  H.  FASSETT,  B.A. 


CHAPTER    I 

DEVELOPMENT  OF  THE  EARLY  SCHOOLS 

From  the  first  settlement  by  David  Thompson  at  Pan- 
naway,  in  1623,  until  the  union  of  New  Hampshire  with 
Massachusetts  eighteen  years  later  there  is  no  record  that 
any  form  of  education  was  provided  for  the  youth  of  the 
colony;  but  after  the  union,  the  small  settlements  at 
Hampton,  Portsmouth,  Dover  and  Exeter  came  under 
the  excellent  school  laws  of  Massachusetts. 

The  most  important  of  these  laws  was  enacted  in  1647, 
and  the  characteristic  way  in  which  the  Puritan  fore- 
fathers were  wont  to  look  for  and  strive  to  intercept  the 
machinations  of  Satan,  even  in  educational  matters,  is 
most  clearly  brought  out  in  the  preamble  of  this  law.  "It 
being  one  chiefe  project  o'f  that  old  deluder,  Sathan,  to 
keep  men  from  the  knowledge  of  the  scriptures,  as  in 
former  times,  keeping  them  in  an  unknowne  tongue,  so  in 
these  latter  times,  by  perswading  them  from  the  use  of 
tongues,  so  that  at  least,  the  true  sence  and  meaning  of 
the  originall  might  be  clouded  with  false  glosses  of  saint 
seeming  deceivers;  and  that  learning  may  not  be  buried 
in  the  grave  of  our  forefathers  in  church  and  common- 
wealth, the  Lord  assisting  our  endeavors : 

"It  is  therefore  ordered  by  this  Courte  and  authority 

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STATE  BUILDERS 


thereof,  that  every  towneshipp  within  this  jurisdiction, 
after  that  the  Lord  hath  increased  them  to  the  number 
of  fifty  howsholders,  shall  then  forthwith  appointe  one 
within  theire  towne,  to  teach  all  such  children  as  shall 
resort  to  him,  to  write  and  read;  whose  wages  shall  be 
paid  either  by  the  parents  or  masters  of  such  children,  or 
by  the  inhabitants  in  generall,  by  way  of  supplye,  as  the 
major  parte  of  these  who  order  the  prudentials  of  the 
towne  shall  appointe:  provided,  that  those  who  send 
theire  children,  bee  not  oppressed  by  paying  much  more 
than  they  can  have  them  taught  for  in  other  townes. 

"And  it  is  further  ordered,  That  where  any  towne  shall 
increase  to  the  number  of  one  hundred  families  or  hows- 
holders,  they  shall  sett  up  a  grammar  schoole,  the  masters 
thereof,  being  able  to  instruct  youths  so  far  as  they  may 
bee  fitted  for  the  university:  and  if  any  towne  neglect 
the  performance  hereof,  above  one  yeare,  then  every  such 
towne  shall  pay  five  pounds  per  annum,  to  the  next  such 
schoole,  till  they  shall  performe  this  order." 

At  this  time  each  of  the  settlements  at  Dover  and  at 
Exeter,  certainly,  had  a  man  with,  experience  in  teaching 
since  the  records  of  Massachusetts  Colony  show  that 
Philemon  Purmont  and  Daniel  Maud  had  taught  schools 
in  Boston  for  several  years.  Subsequently  both  of  these 
men  moved  to  New  Hampshire,  Purmont  going  into 
voluntary  exile  with  Wheelwright  in  1638,  while  Maud 
was  called  to  become  the  minister  at  Dover  in  1642. 

A  little  later  the  following  items  are  found  in  the 
records  at  Dover : 

"At  a  Publicke  towne  meiting  hilled  the  last  of  August 
(1656)  Charles  Buckher  chosen  by  voet  A  Schoellmaster 
for  this  towne,"  and  in  1658,  "It  is  agreed  by  ye  select 
men  together  with  ye  Towne  that  twenty  pounds  per 
annum  shall  be  yearly  raysed  for  the  Mayntenance  of  a 
schoolmaster  in  the  Towne  of  Dover: — That  is  to  say  for 
the  teachinge  of  all  the  children  within  the  Towneship  of 

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STATE  BUILDERS 

Dover,  the  said  Scholemaster  haveing  the  preveleges  of 
all  strangers  out  of  the  Towneship.  The  sd  master  also 
teach  to  read,  write,  cast  a  Compt,  and  Latine,  as  the 
parents  shall  require." 

An  early  and  an  active  interest  was  taken  also  in  the 
higher  education.  Harvard  College,  which  was  the  only 
institution  where  young  men  could  be  properly  trained 
for  the  ministry,  was  aided  by  voluntary  contributions. 

The  amount  recommended  to  be  raised  for  this  purpose 
was  "One  peck  of  corn  or  twleve  pence  money  or  other 
commodity,  of  every  family,  that  so  the  college  may  have 
some  considerable  yearly  healp  towards  their  occasions."* 
Moreover  in  1669  the  towns  of  Portsmouth,  Dover  and 
Exeter  granted  an  annual  subscription  of  one  hundred 
two  pounds  for  seven  years  toward  the  support  of  the 
college.  In  presenting  this  amount  the  colonists  sent  the 
following  address  to  the  General  Court  of  Massachusetts : 
"Though  we  have  articled  with  yourselves  for  exemption 
from  public  charges,  yet  we  have  never  articled  with  God 
and  our  own  consciences  for  exemption  from  gratitude; 
which  to  demonstrate,  while  we  were  studying,  the  loud 
groans  of  the  sinking  college  in  its  present  low  estate 
came  to  our  ears;  the  relieving  of  which  we  account  a 
good  work  for  the  house  of  our  God,  and  needful  for  the 
perpetuating  of  knowledge  both  civil  and  religious, 
among  us,  and  our  posterity  after  us." 

All  of  the  towns  in  New  Hampshire  did  not  take  kindly 
to  the  compulsory  law  in  regard  to  the  keeping  of  the 
common  school.  Even  in  Portsmouth  as  late  as  1697 
there  was  a  dissenting  vote  against  raising  "thirtey 
pounds  mony  pr  anum  for  sd  scollmasters  sallery,"  signed 
by  twenty-one  citizens  of  Portsmouth;  and  the  following 
year  the  town  disputed  a  bill  of  fifty  shillings  incurred 
by  the  teacher  for  a  schoolroom. f  Doubtless  their  reasons 
were  the  same  as  those  expressed  by  a  minority  report  in 

*  Bouton.      f  Brewster. 

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STATE  BUILDERS 

the  town  of  Croydon  several  years  later,  in  which  it  was 
contended  "that  to  be  obliged  to  pay  money  for  the  tuition 
of  other  peoples'  children,  or  even  our  own,  is  unjust, 
tyrannical,  and  oppressive.  Some  individuals  in  the  same 
town  even  went  so  far  as  to  refuse  to  pay  their  school 
taxes  except  by  process  of  law.  It  is  to  the  credit  of  the 
majority  of  the  New  Hampshire  people,  however,  that  in 
spite  of  this  active  opposition,  some  of  which  was,  and 
is  still,  to  be  found  in  all  communities,  public  schools  were 
insisted  upon  and  maintained. 

During  the  troublesome  period  between  1679  and  1692 
in  which  New  Hampshire  had  been  separated  from  Mas- 
sachusetts, again  united  by  petition  of  the  people,  and 
again  separated  by  action  of  the  crown,  little  was  done 
for  education.  Indeed  the  fact  that,  out  of  three  hun- 
dred seventy-four  signers  of  a  petition  presented  to  the 
Court  of  Massachusetts  in  1690  for  protection  against 
the  Indians,  nearly  twenty-five  per  cent  were  obliged  to 
make  their  marks  would  indicate  a  lack  rather  than  an 
abundance  of  educational  privileges. 

The  germs  of  education,  however,  were  strongly  im- 
planted in  the  majority  of  our  New  Hampshire  citizens. 
In  fact  the  first  year  after  their  separation  from  the  Bay 
Colony  (1693)  the  following  law  was  passed:  "It  is 
enacted  and  ordained,  that  for  the  building  and  repair- 
ing of  meeting  houses,  minister's  houses,  schoolhouses, 
and  allowing  a  salary  to  a  schoolmaster  in  each  town 
within  this  Province,  the  selectmen,  in  the  respective 
towns,  shall  raise  money  by  an  equal  rate  and  assessment 
upon  the  inhabitants — and  every  town  within  this  Prov- 
ince (Dover  only  excepted  during  the  war)  shall  from 
and  after  the  publication  hereof,  provide  a  school- 
master for  the  supply  of  the  town,  on  penalty  of 
ten  pounds;  and  for  neglect  thereof,  to  be  paid,  one  half 
to  their  majesties,  and  the  other  half  to  the  poor  of  the 
town." 

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STATE  BUILDERS 

The  next  important  law  relating  to  education  was 
passed  in  1719.  It  compelled  every  town  having  more 
than  fifty  householders  to  hire  a  schoolmaster  to  teach  the 
youth  to  read  and  write,  and  where  the  town  numbered 
one  hundred  householders  a  grammar  school  was  also  to 
be  kept  by  "some  discreet  person  of  good  conversation, 
well  instructed  in  the  tongues."  The  selectmen  were  to 
hire  the  schoolmaster  and  were  to<  levy  a  tax  upon  the 
inhabitants  in  order  to  pay  his  salary.  The  penalty  for 
the  neglect  of  this  law  was  twenty  pounds  which  was  to 
go  "towards  the  support  of  schools  within  the  province, 
where  there  may  be  most  need." 

In  1721  because  of  the  general  neglect  to  provide 
grammar  schools  it  was  found  necessary  to  hold  the 
selectmen  personally  responsible.  The  law  provided 
that  "if  any  town  or  parish  is  destitute  of  a  grammar 
school  for  the  space  of  one  month  the  selectmen  shall  for- 
feit and  pay  out  of  their  own  estates  the  sum  of  twenty 
pounds,  to  be  applied  towards  the  defraying  the  charges 
of  the  province." 

In  some  of  the  frontier  towns  the  law  relating  to 
grammar  schools  worked  rather  a  hardship,  especially 
upon  the  selectmen,  and  several  instances  are  on  record 
wliere  petitions  were  granted  excusing  these  newly  settled 
parishes  from  the  grammar  school  condition;  but  in  no 
instance  was  any  town  or  parish  excused  from  keeping 
a  school  for  reading  and  writing,  "to  which  all  towns  of 
fifty  families  were  obliged." 

The  vast  majority  of  the  towns,  however,  did  not  come 
under  either  one  of  the  above  laws  and  in  most  of  these 
small  scattered  hamlets  all  the  "schooling"  which  the 
children  received  was  obtained  from  their  fathers  and 
mothers  at  home. 

In  the  first  settlements  near  Massachusetts  most  of  the 
early  teachers  were  men  and  a  great  many  were  college 
graduates.  It  has  been  said  that  in  the  town  of  Hamp- 

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STATE  BUILDERS 

ton,  one  of  the  earliest  to  be  settled,  all  the  masters 
previous  to  the  Revolutionary  War  were  college  bred. 
Dow,*  however,  disputes  this  fact,  but  admits  that  the 
great  majority  had  had  liberal  training. 

The  dame  schools  were  usually  taught  in  the  summer 
and  were  for  the  smaller  children  and  the  girls.  The 
boys  at  this  time  were  getting  in  the  hay  and  assisting 
their  fathers.  The  women  who  had  charge  of  the 
summer  schools  were  expected  to  teach  the  girls  sewing 
and  knitting  as  well  as  spelling  and  reading.  Arithmetic 
was  considered  entirely  superfluous  for  girls  and  in  fact 
it  was  very  little  taught  even  in  the  winter  schools  which 
the  boys  attended.  Frequently  the  maiden  ladies  \vho 
taught  these  "marm"  schools  earned  something  more  than 
their  school  wages  by  spinning  between  school  terms  for 
the  family  with  whom  they  boarded.  They  sometimes 
earned  as  much  as  fifty  cents  per  week  by  this  means. 

About  the  year  1720  the  influence  of  the  Scotch-Irish 
settlers,  who  came  to  this  coldYiy  in  large  numbers  and 
settled  in  Londonderry  and  the  surrounding  towns,  began 
to  be  felt.  They  were  all  people  of  thrift  and  intelli- 
gence. One  of  the  direct  descendantsf  of  this  hardy  race 
writes  as  follows :  "It  has  been  said  that  the  Scotch  in 
Ireland  had  better  schools  than  the  common  people  in 
England  had  at  the  same  time.  Of  three  hundred  and 
thirteen  who  signed  the  celebrated  'Memorial  to  Gov. 
Shute'  (Mar.  26,  1718)  three  hundred  and  six  signed 
their  names  in  a  legible  and  generally  handsome  hand. 

"Twelve  of  the  signers  were  graduates  of  the  univer- 
sity. Most  of  these  men  came  to  America,  and  they  were 
fair  samples  of  the  intelligent,  capable,  and  well-informed 
Scotch  people,  that  sought  these  shores.  They  and  their 
descendants  were  set  on  education,  religion  and  liberty. 
It  is  said  that  every  Scotch  settler  coming  to  this  town,$ 
whether  born  beyond  the  water  or  in  some  older  New 

*  Town  History  of  Hampton,     t  W.  R.  Cochrane.     t  Antrim. 

65 


STATE  BUILDERS 

England  settlement,  had  a  fair  common  school  educa- 
tion for  those  times." 

'-  The  other  settlers  were  quick  to  appreciate  the  intelli- 
gence and  broader  education  of  these  Scotch-Irish  emi- 
grants and  soon  there  was  a  goodly  sprinkling  of  "Macs" 
and  other  broad  Scotch  names  in  the  list  of  schoolmasters 
throughout  the  colony.  This  led  not  only  to  the  spread- 
ing of  the  Scottish  education  but  also  to  the  proverbial 
Scottish  wit.  A  story  is  told  of  a  certain  "Master" 
Russell  who  one  winter  had  charge  of  a  school  in  Chester. 
One  day  Master  Russell  called  upon  a  boy  in  one  of  his 
classes  to  read  a  list  of  some  of  the  proper  names  in  the 
Old  Testament.  The  lad,  not  being  well  skilled  in  the 
proper  pronunciation  of  the  old  worthies,  was  making 
somewhat  hard  work  of  his  task,  in  fact  it  is  to  be  feared 
that  if  the  old  worthies  had  been  present  in  person  they 
themselves  would  scarcely  have  recognized  their  names, 
when  the  master  said,  "Stop,  stop,  Elijah!  You  bring 
tears  to  my  eyes,  for  you  are  calling  the  names  of  my 
old  friends  in  Ireland." 

Something  of  the  repute  in  which  the  Scotch-Irish 
schoolteachers  were  held  may  be  found  in  the  following : 
At  one  time  a  Dr.  Hoit  was  master  of  a  school  in  Weare. 
During  the  morning  session  the  school  was  visited  by  the 
chairman  of  the  selectmen  together  with  a  Scotch-Irish 
schoolmaster  named  Donovan.  The  town's  chief  magis- 
trate proceeded  to  ask  Dr.  Hoit  for  his  credentials,  saying 
that  he  was  anxious  to  have  a  teacher  who  understood 
English  grammar.  When  the  dignitaries  had  departed 
one  of  the  older  boys  asked  the  master  what  the  word 
credentials  meant.  The  master,  turning  upon  him  with 
a  frown,  said:  "I  don't  know  and  I  don't  care,  but  T 
suppose  it  is  some  Latin  word  Donovan  put  into  his 
head." 

Fortunately  we  have  quite  an  accurate  picture  pre- 
served to  us  of  a.  typical  Scotch-Irish  schoolmaster  in  the 

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STATE  BUILDERS 

person  of  "Master  Kirby,"  who  had  taught  school  in 
Portsmouth,  and  who  afterwards  settled  at  Barnstead.* 
"He  was  middle-aged,  thickset,  rather  short;  his  hat, 
three-cornered,  buttoned.  His  shoes  were  of  heavy  leather, 
high  cut,  and  a  large  sized  button  of  steel  on  the  instep. 
His  coat  was  rather  of  the  long-jacket  style  with  massive 
pockets  outside,  and  a  standing  collar.  His  breeches 
buckled  snug  at  the  knee,  were  of  corduroy,  his  stockings 
long  and  inclined  to  the  snuff  color.  His  vest  was  of  vast 
proportions,  buttoned  snug  at  the  neck,  and  made  of  black 
and  white  wool.  Snugly  ensconced  was  his  'bull's  eye' 
under  its  righthand  fold.  His  three-cornered  hat  much  of 
the  time  covered  the  glistening  baldness  of  his  pate  while 
liis  frosted  locks  gathered  and  tied  in  the  rear  hung  in  a 
graceful  queue,  ornamenting  the  collar  of  his  coat  upon 
his  spacious  round  shoulders.  His  pleasant  and  graceful 
bearing  bespoke  the  truthfulness  of  his  early  training,  and 
his  dialect  indicated  a  nationality  of  which  he  was  always 
proud." 

The  first  structures  used  for  schools  were  made  of 
logs  and  were  extremely  crude  affairs.  The  only  ap- 
paratus necessary  were  a  firqilace  for  warmth,  hewn 
benches  for  the  children,  and  a  rough  table  for  the  master. 
A  little  later,  when  sawmills  became  plentiful,  framed 
buildings  with  their  rude  covering  of  boards  and  shingles 
began  to  replace  the  log  schoolhouse. 

A  most  interesting  picture  of  this  type  of  schoolhouse 
is  given  in  the  History  of  Chester,  N.  H.  f  "The  house 
was  fifteen  by  sixteen  feet,  six  feet  stud.  The  outside 
boarding  was  'feather-edged';  the  walls  on  the  inside 
were  ceiled;  a  loose  floor  overhead;  the  door  opened  into 
the  room  and  was  furnished  with  a  wooden  latch  and 
string.  There  were  at  first  three  windows  of  nine  panes 
each,  but  afterwards  another  was  added.  At  first  there 
were  on  a  part  of  three,  sides,  writing  benches,  composed 

*  Town  History  of  Barnstead.      t  Benjamin  Chase. 

67 


of  planks  some  fifteen  or  eighteen  inches  wide,  one  edge 
supported  against  the  walls  of  the  house,  the  other  by 
legs  inserted  in  auger-holes.  For  seats,  slabs  with  legs 
were  used.  The  writers,  of  course,  sat  with  their  backs 
to  the  teacher. 

"Inside  of  the  writers'  seats  were  smaller  ones  for  the 
younger  urchins.  The  'Master'  had  a  chair  and  a  pine 
table  in  the  center,  and  'Master  Russell'  swayed  a  scepter 
in  the  form  of  a  hickory  switch  long  enough  to  reach 
every  scholar  in  the  house.  There  was  a  brick  chimney, 
with  a  wooden  mantel-piece  in  one  corner  of  the  house, 
which  so  far  counteracted  the  laws  of  nature  that  the 
smoke  came  down  into  the  house,  instead  of  rising. 
Green  wood  was  used,  which  was  out  in  the  snow  until 
wanted,  so  that  it  took  a  considerable  part  of  the  forenoon 
before  the  house  was  warm,  the  scholars  rubbing  their 
eyes  meanwhile  on  account  of  the  smoke.  By  this  time 
the  mantel-piece  was  on  fire,  and  some  one  must  get  snow 
and  quench  it." 

Another  picture  is  painted  of  a  schoolhouse  in  Littleton 
of  a  later  period.*  "The  desks,  if  we  examine  them,  will 
have,  hollowed  out  upon  their  upper  side,  coarse  images 
of  Indian  fights,  canal  boats,  tomahawks,  fox  and  geese 
and  checker  boards,  miniature  rivef  systems,  and  many  a 
cut  and  hack,  made  in  the  mere  exuberance  of  youthful 
spirits,  without  any  apparent  design.  A  look  at  the  walls 
reveals  to  us  the  stucco  work  of  spit-balls  and  paper  quids, 
fired  at  flies  or  imaginary  targets,  by  mischievous  boys, 
and  places,  too,  bare  of  plaster  and  whitewash,  where 
some  ball  or  ink  bottle  has  struck  in  the  absence  of  the 
teacher." 

In  some  towns  where  the  families  were  widely  scat- 
tered and  large,  and  families  in  those  days  were  almost 
always  large,  the  schoolmaster  and  the  school  would  move 
from  one  section  to  another.  An  interesting  account  of  a 

*  Town  History  of  Littleton. 

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STATE  BUILDERS 

school  of  this  kind  is  found  in  Lancaster.*  "There  were 
at  least  twenty  children  in  this  district  of  school  age,  and 
they  lived  nearly  two  miles  apart.  The  school  would 
commence  in  a  room  at  Coffin  Moore's,  where  there  were 
twelve  children,  but  some  of  them  were  away.  Reading, 
writing  and  arithmetic  were  taught.  The  school  would 
continue  at  Moore's  two  or  three  weeks,  or  what  was  his 
proportion  of  the  time,  determined  by  the  number  of  pu- 
pils, when  it  would  be  announced  that  the  school  would 
move.  The  time  having  arrived  for  moving,  the  larger 
boys  would  take  the  benches  (which  were  made  of  slabs, 
with  sticks  set  in  auger-holes  for  legs)  upon  their  sleds, 
and  go  to  J.  W.  Brackett's,  where  there  were  ten  children. 
A  room  would  be  vacated  and  the  benches  moved  in.  A 
table  on  which  to  write  would  be  borrowed,  or  rudely 
constructed  of  pine  boards,  and  the  school  opened  again. 
The  teacher  boarded  with  the  family  until  their  propor- 
tion of  the  time  was  filled  out.  Then  the  school  would 
make  another  move  to  J.  B.  Week's  and  from  there 
to  Mr.  Bucknam's,  from  whence  it  next  would  go  to 
Abiel  Lovejoy's  and  round  out  its  terms."  These  mov- 
ing schools  were  common  to  all  towns  before  school- 
houses  were  erected. 

Beside  teaching  the  pupils  to  improve  their  minds,  the 
teachers  were  supposed  by  precept  and  example  to  teach 
"manners"  and  good  behavior.  It  is  said  that  Master 
Abraham  Perkins  as  he  approached  the  schoolhouse 
dressed  in  his  broad-tailed  coat,  velvet  breeches  with  sil- 
ver buckles  at  the  knee,  and  with  a  large  ivory-headed 
cane  in  his  hand,  always  saluted  the  children  by  grace- 
fully removing  his  three-cornered  cocked  hat  on  entering 
the  schoolroom.  It  was  proper  also  for  the  pupils  as  he 
approached  to  form  in  two  lines  from  the  schoolroom 
door,  the  girls  on  one  side  and  the  boys  on  the  other,  ar- 
ranged according  to  their  ages.  First  came  the  salute  by 

*  Town  History  of  Lancaster. 

69 


STATE  BUILDERS 

Master  Perkins,  the  three-cornered  hat  being  held  in  his 
hand  as  he  marched  in  review  between  the  lines;  the  boys' 
caps  were  doffed  in  a  twinkling  and  the  girls  made  deep 
courtesies,  as  he  passed.  The  children  were  counter- 
marched into  the  schoolhouse  behind  him.  About  nine 
o'clock  in  the  morning  the  school  began.  First  the  small 
children  read  from  the  New  England  Primer  and  recited 
the  catechism,  which  it  contained.  Then  the  larger  pupils 
were  given  the  Psalter  and  the  Bible  from  which  some 
read  glibly  and  fluently,  while  others  drawled  and  stum- 
bled through  the  passages  in  a  manner  wonderful  to 
hear. 

In  some  instances  the  more  advanced  pupils  were  al- 
lowed to  bring  from  home  any  reader  or  book  which  they 
might  chance  to  possess.  These  older  pupils  sat  upon 
the  benches  in  the  back  part  of  the  room  and  read  around 
one  after  another;  the  teacher,  meantime,  pretended  to 
listen,  but,  having  no  book,  the  exercise  was  tiresome  in 
the  extreme  and  the  criticisms  usually  lacking.  An  ac- 
count of  this  kind  of  exercise  is  given  by  Miss  Rankin  of 
Littleton :  "The  monotony  of  such  a  dull  exercise  often 
threw  our  master  into  a  profound  slumber,  and  I  remem- 
ber, one  time,  I,  and  another  mischievous  girl,  tried  to 
see  how  hard  we  could  punch  our  sleeping  pedagogue 
without  awaking  him.  He  was  so  moderate  in  returning 
to  consciousness  that  we  had  ample1  time  to  return  to  our 
books  with  the  most  intense  application,  leaving  him  in 
entire  ignorance  as  to  where  the  ones  were  who  would 
presume  to  disturb  his  pleasant  dreams." 

The  reading  was  followed  by  arithmetic  taught  by  the 
teacher  orally  or  by  rote,  as  it  was  called.  Usually  the 
rules  were  written  out  on  pieces  of  birch  bark  or  on  scraps 
of  paper  if  any  pupil  was  so  fortunate  as  to  possess  them, 
and  then  memorized.  After  the  arithmetic  came  recess, 
and  it  is  needless  to  say  that  the  decorum  of  the  boys  on 

,7° 


STATE  BUILDERS 

their  entrance  to  school  was  not  maintained  on  their  exit 
at  recess  time. 

The  sports  of  those  early  times,  indulged  in  at  recess 
and  at  the  noon  intermission,  were  not  so  very  different 
from  those  of  the  children  of  to-day.  As  one  of  the  early 
chroniclers  has  put  it :  "They  had  'pizen  gool/  or  goal, 
tag,  snap  the  whip,  high-spy,  'eny,  meny,  mony,  mi' ;  the 
larger  boys  'rasseled/  at  arms  length,  side  holts  and 
backs,  and  lifted  at  stiff  heels.  At  a  later  day  when  school 
kept  in  autumn  or  in  winter  they  snowballed,  slid  down 
hill  or  skated  on  the  glare  ice." 

After  recess  came  the  writing  lesson,  for  which  it  was 
the  duty  of  the  teacher  not  only  to  "set  the  copy"  in  the 
writing  books,  but  also  to  make  and  mend  the  pens  for 
the  pupils'  use.  These  pens  were  made  of  quills  plucked 
from  the  wings  of  geese,  and  considerable  skill  and  expe- 
rience were  needful  to  make  a  serviceable  article.  To 
make  or  mend  a  score  or  so  of  pens  each  day  was  some- 
thing of  a  task.  Occasionally  pens  were  made  from  quills 
which  had  been  boiled  in  oil.  They  were  much  superior 
to  the  common  pens  and  were  called  "Dutch  quills."  The 
latter  were  not  commonly  used  since  they  must  be  brought 
from  Boston  or  Newburyport. 

After  the  writing  lesson  came  the  spelling  which  was 
entirely  oral  and  was  usually  conducted  by  choosing  sides 
and  spelling  down.  The  best  speller  in  the  school  was  a 
noted  personage,  and  in  choosing  sides  he  was  always  the 
first  to  be  called.  Sometimes  school  districts  would  unite 
for  a  spelling  match  and  great  glory  awaited  the  boy  or 
girl  who  came  off  victor  and  brought  honor  to  his  or  her 
district. 

The  spelling  of  words  was  always  done  by  syllable; 
each  syllable  was  spelled,  pronounced,  then  the  next  syl- 
lable was  spelled,  pronounced,  then  both  were  pronounced 
together,  the  same  method  being  followed  throughout  the 
word.  When  a  word  like  Constantinople  was  spelled  in 


STATE  BUILDERS 

-this  way  it  took  considerable  time  and  not  a  little  breath. 

Frequent  mention  is  found  of  singing  schools  con- 
ducted by  some  master  of  the  art,  and  usually  held  in  the 
evening  in  a  schoolhouse  centrally  located.  These  sing- 
ing schools  were  largely  attended  by  the  young  men  and 
women  of  the  entire  township,  and  to  escort  the  young 
maids  to  and  from  the  singing  school  was  not  the  least 
of  its  attractions.  One  system  of  singing  in  vogue  at  the 
time  was  invented  by  Mr.  Tufts,  minister  of  the  church 
in  Newbury.  His  book  was  published  in  1712  and  con- 
tained twenty-eight  tunes  with  rules  for  singing  the  same. 
His  "system"  was  to  print  on  the  staff  the  first  letters  of 
the  Italian  syllables  instead  of  notes,  thus  d  would  stand 
for  do,  r  for  re,  m  for  mi,  etc.  It  is  said  that  this  method 
became  very  popular.  At  any  rate,  whatever  scheme  was 
used  was  much  better  than  singing  by  rote,  as  the  people 
usually  did,  whereby  "the  melodies  underwent  many 
transformations."  Rev.  Mr.  Walters,  evidently  a  man 
of  some  humor  and  with  not  a  little  knowledge  of  music, 
hands  down  to  us  the  following  account  of  chorus  sing- 
ing in  the  early  times :  "Singing  sounds  like  five  hundred 
different  tunes  roared  out  at  the  same  time.  The  singers 
often  are  two  words  apart,  producing  noises  so  hideous 
and  disorderly  as  is  bad  beyond  expression.  The  notes 
are  prolonged  so  that  I  myself  have  twice  in  one  note 
paused  to  take  breath." 

The  rules  of  behavior  were  very  accurately  laid  down 
and  woe  betide  the  youth  who  thoughtlessly  or  recklessly 
disobeyed  them.  The  ways  of  punishment  wrere  exceed- 
ingly varied  and  ingenious;  even  the  ordinary  "black 
strap"  had  its  variations  as  will  be  shown  later.  •  Indeed 
much  of  the  school  time  was  consumed  not  to  say  wasted 
in  violent  exercise,  participated  in  both  by  the  teacher  and 
pupil.  Among  the  milder  forms  of  punishment  was  "sit- 
ting on  nothing"  or  "on  the  top  end  of  an  old-fashioned 
elm  bark  seat  chair,  turned  down."  .Again  the  pupil 

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STATE  BUILDERS 

would  be  compelled  to  hold  out  horizontally  a  heavy 
book.  Stooping  down  to  hold  a  nail  or  peg  in  the 
floor,  "with  an  occasional  smart  rap  on  the  rear,"  to  keep 
the  culprit  from  bending  his  knees,  standing  in  the  corner 
and  sitting  with  the  girls  were  also  very  mild  forms  of 
punishment. 

Master  Hogg,  one  of  the  earliest  teachers  in  Sutton, 
employed  a  unique  form  of  punishment  which  he  called 
"horseing,"  and  an  appropriate  term  it  was.  The  modus 
operandi  was  as  follows :  As  soon  as  a  boy  was  caught 
misbehaving  he  was  promptly  called  int6  the  floor.  It 
was  usually  not  long  before  two  other  youngsters  were 
ready  to  keep  number  one  company.  The  requisite  num- 
ber now  having  been  obtained,  the  "circus"  began.  The 
first  offender  was  made  to  get  down  on  his  hands  and 
knees,  number  two  must  mount  on  his  back,  while  a  third 
culprit  was  compelled  to  whip  them  soundly  around  the 
room.  This  punishment  was  made  perfectly  fair,  since 
the  boys  were  obliged  to  "swap"  places  until  each  had 
taken  his  turn  at  "whipping  once  and  being  whipped 
twice." 

It  was  not  all  fun  for  the  teachers  in  those  early 
schools.  Often  the  larger  boys  would  combine  forces, 
boldly  advance  upon  the  master,  and  if  successful  in  their 
onslaught,  they  would  carry  him  forth  from  the  school- 
house  and  boldly  pitch  him  into  a  snowdrift  or  duck  him 
in  some  nearby  creek.  It  required  a  man  with  some  nerve 
to  take  a  school  where  his  predecessors  had  been  severally 
and  in  turn  ejected  in  this  manner.  John  Gillett  on  com- 
ing to  a  school  of  this  kind  in  one  of  the  New  Hampshire 
towns  started  the  morning  services  after  the  pupils  had 
assembled  by  striding  back  and  forth  through  the  school- 
room several  times;  then,  turning  suddenly,  he  said  with 
a  voice  which  made  the  windows  rattle,  "Boys,  if  you 
don't  behave  I'll  lick  you,  then  if  you  don't  behave  I  will 
iollow  you  home  and  lick  your  parents." 

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STATE  BUILDERS 

It  is  told  also  of  Master  Richard  Adams,  who  taught 
the  Sugar  Hill  district  in  Weare,  that  he  had  in  his  school 
as  many  as  twenty  strapping  boys,  each  one  of  whom  was 
over  six  feet  tall.  One  day,  at  a  preconcerted  signal,  they 
all  arose  and  marched  in  single  file  around  the  room.  As 
the  foremost  boy  passed  the  fireplace,  he  seized  a  burning 
branch  from  the  hearth  and  shouted  to  his  followers, 
"Shoulder  firelock!"  But  at  that  point  Master  Adams 
took  a  hand  in  the  affair  and  ordered  "Ground  firelock! 
consarn  ye."  At  the  same  instant  he  gave  the  leader  a 
blow  which  stretched  him  at  full  length  on  the  floor.  It 
is  said  that  no  better  ordered  school  was  ever  taught  in 
that  district  than  the  one  taught  by  Master  Adams. 

Some  of  the  punishments  seemed  needlessly  cruel  and 
unnecessary,  but  it  must  be  remembered  that  corporal 
punishment  was  part  of  the  spirit  of  the  times.  The 
parents  knew  that  they  had  received  thrashings  when  they 
went  to  school,  and  it  seemed  to  them  in  some  indefinable 
way  a  necessary  though  painful  part  of  the  child's  educa- 
tion. Doubtless  the  wisdom  of  Solomon  was  often  quoted 
in  relation  to  the  need  of  not  sparing  the  rod.  A  certain 
Master  Thurston,  who  taught  for  many  years  in  Bos- 
cawen,  was  a  noted  disciplinarian,  and  when  in  those 
days  a  master  was  noted  for  "discipline"  you  may  be  sure 
that  he  deserved  it.  It  is  related  that  Master  Thurston 
had  as  one  of  his  instruments  a  black  leather  strap,  made 
in  two  pieces  with  sheet  lead  stitched  between  them.  On 
one  end  of  this  strap  he  had  punched  four  holes  and  on 
the  other  five.  His  mode  of  procedure  was  this :  Hold- 
ing the  strap  in  full  view  of  the  trembling  youngster,  he 
would  ask,  "Which  will  you  have,  four  holes  or  five?" 
If  the  boy  said  four  the  master  would  reply,  "For  fear  of 
making  a  mistake  I  will  give  you  both."  It  was  a  current 
remark  in  West  Salisbury,  where  Thurston  taught  several 
terms,  "that  the  surrounding  farms  never  would. have 

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STATE  BUILDERS 

been  cleared  of  birches  if  Master  Thurston  had  not  been 
employed  so  long  as  a  teacher." 

McDuffee  in  his  "History  of  Rochester"  speaks  of 
a  one-armed  schoolmaster,  a  veteran  of  the  Revolution, 
who  was  a  noted  wielder  of  the  birch  and  rod;  the 
strength  of  his  lost  arm  seeming  to  supplement  the  muscle 
of  the  one  remaining.  His  name,  Tanner,  seemed  pecu- 
liarly appropriate;  the  boys,  indeed,  deeming  it  the  most 
fitting  thing  about  him.  His  successor,  Master  Orne, 
was  said  to  have  been  remarkable,  in  fact  unique,  in  the 
way  in  which  he  dealt  out  punishment.  "He  flogged 
singly,  and  by  classes,  and  by  the  whole  school;  just  as 
officers  review  their  soldiers,  by  squads,  by  companies, 
by  battalions  and  by  regiments."  It  was  of  no  use  for  the 
boys  to  rebel,  they  obtained  little  sympathy  at  home.  The 
parents  considered  that  it  was  what  they  had  received 
when  they  went  to  school,  "and  what  was  good  enough 
for  them  was  good  enough  for  the  children."  It  is 
strange  how  history  repeats  itself  even  in  educational 
matters. 

There  is  preserved  among  the  writings  of  Master  Jacob 
N.  Knapp,  who  taught  school  more  than  one  hundred 
years  ago,  an  accurate  picture  of  the  school  life  of  that 
time.  The  account  runs  as  follows :  "In  the  winter  of  my 
1 7th  year,  I  received  an  invitation  to  teach  school  for 
three  months  in  London,  near  Concord,  N.  H.  A  school- 
master's wages  were  at  that  time  $6  a  month  and  board. 
My  school  consisted  of  about  40  pupils.  It  was  composed 
of  both  sexes  and  all  ages.  Most  of  the  children  under 
16  years  of  age  wore  leather  aprons,  reaching  from  their 
chins  to  their  ankles.  These  aprons,  after  being  worn  a 
little  time,  became  striped  and  shining  with  bean  porridge, 
which  in  winter  made  the  principal  food  of  the  children. 
Many  of  the  little  girls  took  snuff;  it  was  the  fashion. 

"In  my  school  I  had  often  used  signals  instead  of 
words.  The  exercises  in  reading  and  spelling  for  the  day 

75 


STATE  BUILDERS 

were  about  to  commence.  I,  as  usual,  gave  with  the  ferule 
one  tap  upon  the  table.  The  first  class  came  out  from 
their  desks  on  to  the  open  floor,  and  stood  in  a  line.  On 
receiving  a  slight  sign,  the  head  pupil  read ;  then  the  next, 
and  so  on  to  the  last.  At  receiving  a  bow  from  their 
teacher,  each  one  bowed  or  courtesied  and  returned  noise- 
lessly to  his  or  her  desk.  Two  raps  upon  the  table  called 
up  the  second  class,  who  were  exercised  and  dismissed  in 
the  same  manner.  Three  raps  called  up  the  third  class. 
This  division  closed  the  exercises.  The  school  was  dis- 
missed. 

"The  people  there  and  then  considered  it  a  privilege  to 
board  the  schoolmaster.  To  accommodate  them,  I 
boarded  in  13  different  families,  and  thus  became  inti- 
mately acquainted  with  every  individual  in  the  district. 
The  price  of  board  was  4  shillings  and  6  pence  a 
week.  Lived  well ;  fat  beef  and  pork,  lambs  and  poultry, 
in  their  seasons;  butter,  honey  and  drop  cakes  abounded; 
coffee,  tea  and  cream  were  liberally  supplied." 

As  seen  from  Master  Knapp's  account  a  schoolmaster's 
wages  were  about  six  dollars  a  month.  Sometimes  they 
ran  as  low  as  four  dollars  per  month,  and  in  some  in- 
stances the  master  was  not  paid  in  money  at  all,  but 
drew  his  salary  in  so  many  bushels  of  grain,  wheat  or 
rye,  as  the  case  might  be.  The  town  of  Bath  voted  one 
year  to  raise  sixty  bushels  of  wheat  for  the  support  of 
the  school.  In  fact  this  item  of  raising  grain  to  be  used 
for  school  purposes  is  frequently  met  with  in  town 
records.  The  use  of  grain  for  money  at  a  time  when 
specie  was  very  scarce  and  when  the  country  was  overrun 
with  paper  money,  whose  value  was  almost  nothing,  is 
not  surprising.  Good  grain  could  always  be  exchanged 
for  the  necessities  of  life  and  its  value  as  a  medium  of 
exchange  was  more  or  less  fixed. 

The  two  following  receipts  not  only  show  instances  of 
this  kind  of  payment,  but  also  indicate  the'  relative  value 

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STATE  BUILDERS 

placed  upon  the  master's  teaching  as  compared  with  that 
of  the  marm's  teaching. 

March  21,  1792. 

Then  my  son  Robert  Hogg,  received  seventeen  bushels 
of  Rie  from  Simon  Kezar  of  Sutton  which  was  due  to 
me  for  teaching  schooling  two  months  in  Sutton. 

Per  me. 

Robert  Hogg. 

Methuen,  Feb.  i,  1791. 

Received  of  Jacob  Mastin  and  Hezekiah  Parker  six 
bushels  of  Rye,  it  being  in  full  for  my  keeping  school  for 
them  and  others  last  fall  six  weeks. 

Lydia  Parker. 

It  must  not  be  thought  that  this  was  all  the  money  the 
teacher  lived  upon  during  the  year.  The  schools  were 
generally  so  arranged  in  the  different  neighborhoods  that 
they  would  begin  one  after  another.  The  master  could 
thus  travel  from  one  district  to  the  next  and  be  pretty 
constantly  supplied  with  a  school. 

In  addition  to  the  funds  raised  directly  for  the  support 
of  the  schools  there  was  usually  a  little  revenue  from 
the  "town  lot."  In  all  grants  of  township  made  by  the 
Masonian  Proprietors,  by  Massachusetts  and  by  John 
Wentworth  II,  one  lot  or  share,  generally  about  one 
hundred  acres,  of  the  land,  was  set  aside  for  the  use  of 
schools.  This  was  usually  done  also  by  other  governors. 
Frequent  mention  is  made  of  this  school  lot  or  lots  in 
different  town  records;  in  some  instances  it  was  voted  to 
lease  the  land  and  to  use  the  money  for  the  support  of 
schools.  Other  towns  appropriated  the  land  for  public 
purposes  and  occasionally  the  lot  was  sold.  The  town  of 
Rochester,  March  12,  1749,  "Voted  that  the  selectmen 
of  this  town  let  out  the  school  lot  to  those  that  will  give 
the  most  for  it  for  the  present  year.  And  the  rent  to  be 
combarted  to  the  towns  youce." 

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STATE  BUILDERS 

Besides  the  methods  above  indicated  for  raising  school 
money,  in  the  very  earliest  schools  it  was  the  custom 
"that  every  man  should  bring  two  feet  of  wood  for  each 
scholar  that  he  sent  to  school,"  and  ''that  every  man 
should  chop  his  own  wood  that  he  brings  to  the  school- 
house."  Later,  however,  this  custom  changed  somewhat, 
and  the  task  of  furnishing  the  school  firewood  was  gen- 
erally set  up  at  auction  and  struck  off  to  the  lowest  bidder. 
It  was  sometimes  bid  in  by  a  man  who.  had  a  quantity  of 
cheap  wood  which  he  wished  to  get  rid  of  and  who  ac- 
cordingly determined  to  dispose  of  it  to  the  schools  for 
the  boys  to  work  up.  The  amount  was  not  stipulated, 
the  agreement  usually  being  that  as  much  wood  would  be 
hauled  as  was  necessary.  A  certain  Abner  Hoit  was  fur- 
nishing brown  ash,  and  poor  at  that,  to  a  school  in  the 
central  part  of  the  state,  much  to  the  disgust'  of  the  boys. 
Finally,  when  there  were  but  three  more  days  to  the 
close  of  school,  Abner  drew  a  cord  of  ash  and  said  that 
it  must  last  the  term  out.  The  large  boys  determined  not 
to  be  dictated  to  as  to  the  quantity  of  wood  even  if  they 
were  obliged  to  accept  the  quality,  and  cut  and  burned 
the  entire  cord  in  one  day.  The  pitch  fried  out  of  the 
pine  knots  in  the  ceiling,  but  at  sundown  not  a  stick  of 
wood  remained,  and  Hoit  was  obliged  to  haul  another 
load. 

In  the  same  neighborhood  lived  a  certain  Moses 
Mudgett,  an  easy-going  individual,  who  found  it  less 
troublesome  to  borrow  wood  from  the  schoolhouse  pile, 
already  chopped  by  the  boys,  than  to  chop  his  own  wood. 
The  larger  boys  soon  suspected  wrho  was  taking  such  an 
interest  in  their  wood  pile,  and  they  determined  to  fix 
the  old  gentleman.  Accordingly  they  bored  holes  in  a 
few  of  the  larger  sticks,  filled  them  with  powder  and 
drove  in  a  tightly  fitting  wooden  plug.  This  scheme 
worked  to  perfection.  Moses  got  some  of  the  loaded 
sticks  that  very  night  and  put  them  on  his  fire  under  a 

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STATE  BUILDERS 

boiling  pot.  When  the  explosion  came  it  is  said  that  "the 
pot  shot  up  through  the  great  chimney  flue  into  the  clear 
sky  and  landed  in  the  field  over  behind  the  barn."  The 
lesson  was  thoroughly  taught  and  the  schoolhouse  wood 
was  thereafter  untouched. 

The  burning  of  such  quantities  of  wood  during  the 
term  naturally  caused  an  accumulation  of  ashes.  These 
ashes  were  not  then  used  for  fertilizer,  but  were  consid- 
ered of  value  by  the  housewives  for  making  soft  soap  and 
also  in  the  manufacture  of  potash.  It  was  a  long  estab- 
lished custom  in  many  of  the  New  Hampshire  schools 
for  the  big  boys  who  had  worked  up  the  wood  to  have 
the  ashes.  These,  sorrowful  to  state,  were  sold  to  buy 
rum  with  which  to  celebrate  the  last  day  of  school.  When 
we  consider  that  it  was  customary  for  boys  to  attend 
school  until  they  were  twenty-two  or  twenty-three  years 
old  and  oftentimes  older,  this  custom  does  not  seem  so 
surprising,  particularly  as  the  use  of  New  England  rum 
was  so  common.  The  way  in  which  the  use  of  "spirits" 
was  looked  upon  is  seen  in  the  following  anecdote. 

It  seems  that  one  day  while  "Good  Mother  Winslow" 
was  visiting  a  country  school  in  Northfield,  through  some 
accident,  the  fore  stick,  back  log  and  all  came  rolling 
down  out  of  the  fireplace  onto  the  broad  hearth.  The 
room  instantly  filled  with  smoke,  and  before  matters 
could  be  "set  to  rights"  again,  there  being  no  shovel  and 
tongs,  pupils  and  all  were  nearly  suffocated.  Mother 
Winslow,  so  the  story  goes,  with  great  indignation  ex- 
claimed, "It  were  better  to  sell  the  ashes  for  shovel  and 
tongs  than  to  buy  rum  for  the  scholars."  She  was 
silenced  at  once  by  a  voter  present,  who  replied,  "Let  'um 
have  their  rum — let  'um  have  it.  It'll  do  them  as  much 
good  as  salt  does  sheep  once  in  a  while."  And  so  the 
ashes  did  not  go  for  shovel  and  tongs. 

The  district  school  as  it  existed  in  our  forefathers' 
time  differed  but  little  from  many  of  the  country  schools 

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STATE  BUILDERS 

in  existence  to-day.     The  "master,"  however,  has  been 
displaced  and  the  master's  daughter  reigns  in  his  stead. 

There  were  many  undeniable  advantages  in  the  old- 
fashioned  district  school,  particularly  for  the  bright  boys 
and  girls.  They  listened  daily  to  the  instruction  of  all  the 
classes  from  the  primer  to  the  Latin  grammar,  and  they 
unconsciously  absorbed  in  a  few  terms  a  working  knowl- 
edge of  subjects  which  would  have  taken  a  much  longer 
period  to  obtain  tinder  the  graded  system  so  universal 
at  present.  On  the  other  hand,  the  pupils  of  average 
or  mediocre  ability  labored  under  a  distinct  disadvantage 
in  the  old-time  schools  as  compared  with  those  of  to-day. 
This  was  a  direct  result  of  the  multiplicity  of  classes,  the 
brief  recitation  period,  the  impossibility  of  individual  help 
in  the  ungraded  school  and  the  absence  of  these  disadvan- 
tages in  the  graded  schools. 


CHAPTER  II 

EARLY    ACADEMIES 

Among  the  New  Hampshire  academies,  Phillips  Exe- 
ter, Appleton,  Atkinson,  Gilmanton,  Haverhill  and  Fran- 
cestown  are  the  only  ones  now  in  existence  which  have 
passed  the  century  mark.  The  following  brief  descrip- 
tions of  these  six  must  stand  for  all.  Their  purpose  was 
alike,  their  standards  were  practically  the  same  and  the 
results  achieved,  while  not  always  equal  in  amount, 
always  tended  toward  the  same  high  ideals. 

Phillips  Exeter,  the  first  academy  to  be  founded  in 
New  Hampshire,  was  started  at  Exeter  through  the  mu- 
nificence of  Dr.  John  Phillips.  From  the  incorporation 
of  the  academy  in  1781  to  his  death  fourteen  years  later 
his  bequests  amounted  to  about  sixty  thousand  dollars  in 
all.  Thus  the  first  academy  in  New  Hampshire  became 

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STATE  BUILDERS 

also  for  its  time  one  of  the  most  heavily  endowed.  The 
first  building  was  of  small  dimensions  with  four  school- 
rooms, all  of  which  were  not  finished.  There  was  no  regu- 
lar course  of  study,  each  pupil  taking  up  such  branches 
as  he  was  found  competent  to  follow;  indeed,  as  late 
as  1788  there  were  but  two  pupils  in  the  school  who  had 
sufficiently  mastered  reading  and  spelling  to  enter  into  the 
"mysteries  of  Latin."  In  1797,  however,  a  certificate 
was  granted  Lewis  Cass,  the  future  statesman,  in  which 
ii  was  stated  that  he  had  acquired  "the  principles  of 
English,  French,  Latin  and  Greek  languages,  geography, 
arithmetic  and  practical  geometry;  that  he  had  made  very 
valuable  progress  in  the  study  of  rhetoric,  history,  natu- 
ral and  moral  philosophy,  logic,  astronomy  and  natural 
law."  This  would  indicate  that  the  curriculum  had  been 
much  extended  and  the  standard  raised.  Again  in  1808 
and  in  1818  the  course  of  study  was  enlarged  and  at  the 
latter  date  a  rigid  line  was  drawn  between  the  English 
and  classical  departments.  During  the  early  years  of  the 
academy  all  pupils  were  required  to  spend  five  or  six 
hours  each  day  in  the  schoolroom,  where  both  the  study 
and  recitation  wrork  were  done  in  the  presence  of  a 
teacher;  but  in  1858  this  custom  was  abolished  and  the 
pupils  were  required  to  be  present  only  for  recitation. 
The  aim  of  the  academy  from  the  beginning  has  been  to 
develop  manliness  and  self  reliance  on  the  part  of  its 
pupils,  and  the  long  list  of  honored  names  among  its 
alumni  shows  how  well  this  object  has  been  attained. 
No  school  in  New  England  at  the  present  time  can  boast 
a  wider  or  more  enviable  reputation. 

Eight  years  after  the  founding  of  Phillips  Exeter 
Academy  the  people  of  New  Ipswich  decided  to  establish 
a  school  where  the  branches  of  the  higher  education  could 
be  taught  to  better  Advantage  than  in  the  town  grammar 
schools.  Mr.  John  Hubbard  was  elected  the  first  teacher 
at  a  salary  of  sixty  pounds  per  year.  Almost  from  the 

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STATE  BUILDERS 

start  the  academy  was  self  supporting.  In  1789  a  fund 
was  collected  by  subscription  for  the  erection  of  an  acad- 
emy building,  and  it  was  completed  in  the  same  year. 
The  school  at  the  present  time  has  but  few  pupils,  but 
during  the  many  years  of  its  existence  its  influence  has 
been  felt  with  peculiar  force  throughout  that  section  of 
the  state. 

Atkinson  Academy,  one  of  the  few  established  during 
the  eighteenth  century,  was  incorporated  in  1791.  The 
first  building  was  burned  in  1802,  but  it  was  quickly 
erected  again  the  following  year,  the  greater  part  of  the 
expense  being  borne  by  the  people  of  Atkinson.  In  view 
of  their  misfortune  a  grant  was  made  by  the  legislature 
to  raise  by  lottery  the  amount  of  two  thousand  dollars, 
the  proceeds  to  go  to  the  academy.  A  grant  was  also 
made  of  half  a  township  of  land  in  Coos  County,  but 
through  some  mismanagement  neither  the  lottery  nor  the 
grant  of  land  amounted  to  a  great  deal.  Nevertheless 
the  academy  flourished  and  up  to  1850  it  had  numbered 
among  its  graduates  nearly  two  thousand  students.  At 
the  present  time,  in  common  with  so  many  other  acade- 
mies, its  students  are  few  and  its  influence  proportion- 
ately lessened. 

At  Gilmanton  in  1792  a  committee  appointed  for  the 
purpose  reported  "that  the  establishment  of  an  academy 
would  be  useful  to  the  inhabitants  and  beneficial  to  the 
public."  Accordingly  under  an  act  of  the  legislature  the 
academy  was  incorporated  in  1794.  Its  first  teacher  was 
Peter  L.  Folsom,  who  acted  as  principal  for  six  years.  In 
January,  1808,  the  academy  building  was  burned  to  the 
ground,  but  within  five  weeks  after  the  fire  the  frame  of 
a  new  building  was  erected  in  its  place.  This  school  has 
always  taken  high  rank  among  the  academies  of  the  state. 
A  large  number  of  young  men  have,  been  fitted  for  col- 
lege, many  of  whom  have  proved  themselves  strong  in  the 
affairs  of  the  nation.  In  1833  a  theological  department 

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STATE  BUILDERS 

was  established  in  connection  with  Gilmanton  Academy, 
and  many  clergymen  have  here  received  a  thorough  theo- 
logical training. 

In  1/93  the  settlers  of  Haverhill  decided  to  establish 
an  academy.  A  building  was  erected  and  the  institution 
incorporated  in  1794.  Its  object  as  set  forth  in  the  char- 
ter was  "to  promote  religion,  purity,  virtue  and  morality, 
and  for  teaching  the  youth  in  English,  Latin,  and  Greek 
languages;  in  writing,  music  and  the  art  of  speaking; 
in  geography,  logic,  geometry,  mathematics,  and  such 
oth'er  branches  of  science  as  opportunity  may  present  and 
the  teachers  shall  order  and  direct."  A  list  of  the  sub- 
jects taught  in  Haverhill  Academy  serve  as  an  example 
of  the  curricula  of  other  academies  at  this  time.  The 
first  academy  building  was  burnt  in  1814  and  it  was  voted 
to  rebuild  with  stone.  Through  varying  periods  of  pros- 
perity and  adversity  the  Haverhill  Academy  has  come 
down  to  the  present  time. 

The  spring  of  1801  saw  the  beginning  of  the  Frances- 
town  Academy.  Its  first  teacher  was  Alexander  Dustin, 
a  college  bred  man,  a  graduate  of  Dartmouth  in  1799. 
For  several  years  the  academy  continued  under  his  effi- 
cient management.  From  the  beginning_the  school  was  a 
success.  In  1818  a  new  building  was  constructed  of 
brick.  Although  the  school  had  been  in  operation  since 
1 80 1  it  was  not  incorporated  until  1819.  From  that  time 
down  to  the  present  there  are  found  in  a  list  of  its  teach- 
ers and  graduates  some  of  New  Hampshire's  greatest 
names.  "Among  its  students  have  been  one  President 
of  the  United  States;  two  United  States  Senators;  many 
members  of  Congress;  Judges,  from  Police  Court  to  the 
United  States  Supreme  Court;  one  Major-General  in  the 
Union  Army;  and  a  great  number  of  Professors,  Tutors, 
Ministers,  Physicians,  Missionaries,  Governors  and  lead- 
ers in  every  department  of  learning  and  enterprise." 

The  limitations  of  this  article  are  such  that  it  is  im- 

83 


STATE  BUILDERS 

possible  to  enter  into'  a  lengthy  description  of  the  one 
hundred  thirty  New  Hampshire  academies,  the  majority 
of  which  have  sprung  into  life,  performed  nobly  the 
duties  for  which  they  were  intended  and  have  passed  to 
the  end  of  an  honorable  and  useful  existence. 

The  town  and  city  high  schools  are  direct  descendants 
of  the  old-fashioned  academy.  As  education  became 
more  common  it  was  made  possible  for  the  cities  and 
even  the  small  towns  to  procure  men  and  women  of  suit- 
able learning  and  experience  to  teach  the  higher  branches 
at  a  moderate  cost.  Thus  the  young  people  were  able 
to  obtain  an  academic  training  at  home.  At  the  present 
time  there  are  many  such  high  schools  which  send  out 
each  year  pupils  well  equipped  in  the  academic  branches 
of  education. 


CHAPTER  III 

THE    INSTITUTIONS    OF    HIGHER    LEARNING 

Dartmouth  College  had  its  beginning  as  a  school  for 
Indian  boys,  established  by  Eleazor  Wheelock  in  1755 
at  Lebanon,  Connecticut.  Wheelock's  original  idea  in 
founding  this  school  was  to  educate  the  American  In- 
dian, but  very  soon  he  enlarged  upon  this  idea  and  admit- 
ted American  boys,  with  the  understanding  that  they 
would  later  become  missionaries  among  the  Indian 
tribes.  Ten  years  after  the  founding  of  the  school,  Dr. 
Wheelock  sent  an  Indian  named  Occum,  a  graduate  of 
his  school,  to  England,  where  he  addressed  immense  au- 
diences and  succeeded  in  raising  funds  to  the  amount  of 
eleven  thousand  pounds.  Governor  John  Wentworth  of 
New  Hampshire  in  1770  offered  Dr.  Wheelock  an  exten- 
sive grant  of  land  in  New  Hampshire  if  he  would  move 
his  school  to  that  province,  and  he  also  promised  a  most 
liberal  charter  for  the  college,  which  it  was  Wheel- 

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STATE  BUILDERS 

ock's  ambition  to  found.  A  site  for  the  institution  was 
finally  selected  at  Hanover,  and  after  overcoming  almost 
insuperable  obstacles,  the  actual  scholastic  life  of  the 
college  began.  The  first  class  was  graduated  August  28, 
1771,  and  consisted  of  four  students,  Governor  John 
Wentworth  driving  all  the  way  from  Portsmouth  in  order 
to  be  present  at  the  ceremony. 

The  Dartmouth  Medical  School  began  with  a  course 
of  lectures  given  by  Dr.  Nathan  Smith,  a  graduate  of 
Harvard  Medical  School,  in  1790.  The  following  year 
the  medical  department  was  formally  accepted  by  the 
trustees  of  Dartmouth  College,  and  the  same  year  a  class 
of  four  students  was  graduated,  each  receiving  the  degree 
of  M.  B. 

From  such  small  beginnings  has  the  present  Dart- 
mouth College  sprung.  It  ranks  among  the  oldest  of  the 
American  colleges,  and  it  has  established  for  itself  a  repu- 
tation of  which  every  New  Hampshire  citizen  may  be 
justly  proud. 

In  1866  a  school  for  agriculture  was  started  under  the 
title  of  ''The  New  Hampshire  College  of  Agriculture  and 
the  Mechanic  Arts."  It  was  organized  with  a  board  of 
nine  trustees;  five  were  appointed  by  the  Governor  and 
Council  and  four  by  the  trustees  of  Dartmouth  College. 
By  act  of  Congress,  New  Hampshire  was  entitled  to  one 
hundred  fifty  thousand  acres  of  land  scrip,  the  sale  of 
wrhich  amounted  to  about  eighty  thousand  dollars. 
This  sum  was  invested  in  six  per  cent  bonds,  none  of  it 
being  available  for  the  erection  of  buildings.  The  college 
was  first  located  in  Hanover,  where  it  was  more  or  less 
closely  associated  with  Dartmouth  College,  not  entirely 
to  its  advantage. 

The  real  prosperity  of  the  college  began  upon  its  re- 
moval from  Hanover  to  Durham,  when  it  fell  heir  to  the 
Benjamin  Thompson  estate,  amounting  in  all  to  nearly 
five  hundred  thousand  dollars.  Beautiful  and  spacious 

85 


STATE  BUILDERS 

buildings  were  erected,  mechanical,  physical  and  chemical 
laboratories  were  thoroughly  equipped,  in  fact,  every  con- 
venience was  supplied  for  a  college  of  mechanic  arts 
according  to  modern  ideas. 

The  Thayer  School  of  Civil  Engineering  was  founded 
by  General  Sylvanus  Thayer  of  the  United  States  Army. 
In  1867  he  gave  seventy  thousand  dollars  as  a  fund  for 
the  school  and  established  conditions  which  made  it  prac- 
tically a  post  graduate  institution.  Its  requirements  for 
graduation  are  probably  more  severe  than  those  of  any 
other  school  of  a  similar  kind,  and  its  graduates  are 
looked  upon  by  the  profession  as  men  thoroughly  quali- 
fied in  all  departments  of  civil  engineering. 

In  1870  an  act  passed  the  legislature  for  the  establish- 
ment of  a  Normal  School,  a  board  of  trustees  to  be 
appointed  by  the  Governor  and  Council.  The  school  was 
finally  located  at  Plymouth.  At  first  it  labored  under  a 
great  disadvantage  by  not  receiving  pecuniary  aid  from 
the  state,  the  expenses  of  the  school  being  met  by  tuition 
collected  from  the  pupils.  It  was  not  until  1875  that 
the  state  made  a  sufficient  appropriation  for  the  school  to 
be  declared  free  to  its  students. 

In  1878  the  appropriation  was  only  three  thousand 
dollars,  but,  as  the  efficiency  and  the  needs  of  the  school 
have  become  more  apparent,  it  has  been  gradually  in- 
creased until  the  state  at  present  grants  twenty-five  thou- 
sand dollars  a  year  toward  the  expenses  of  the  school. 
From  the  beginning  the  town  of  Plymouth  gave  over  its 
children  into  the  hands  of  the  trustees  of  the  Normal 
School  for  a  model  and  a  practice  school.  At  the  present 
time  the  Normal  School,  which  numbers  over  one  hun- 
dred fifty  pupils,  is  in  a  very  flourishing  condition. 
The  large  and  commodious  building  erected  in  1890  for 
recitation  purposes,  etc.,  as  well  as  the  dormitory  build- 
ing, which  at  the  time  of  their  erection  were  deemed  suffi- 
ciently large  for  years  to  come,  have  already  been  out- 

86 


STATE  BUILDERS 

grown,  and  the  school  bids  fair  under  proper  financial 
conditions  to  become  one  of  the  largest  normal  schools  in 
New  England. 


CHAPTER  IV 

THE    FORMATIVE    PERIOD    OF    THE    COMMON    SCHOOLS 

In  1789  the  general  court  of  New  Hampshire  repealed 
all  previous  laws  in  regard  to  the  common  schools  and 
started  anew  on  the  basis  of  taxing  all  the  inhabitants  of 
the  several  towns  except  non-residents,  on  the  polls  and 
real  estate  at  the  rate  of  five  pounds  for  every  twenty 
shillings  that  each  town  paid  to  the  support  of  the  state. 
The  first  year  it  was  in  operation  this  tax  amounted 
throughout  the  entire  state  to  nearly  five  thousand 
pounds,  and  the  law  read  "that  the  money  thus  raised  to 
be  expended  for  the  sole  purpose  of  keeping  an  English 
Grammar  School,  or  schools  for  teaching  reading,  writ- 
ing, and  arithmetic;  but  in  each  shire  or  half  shire  town, 
the  school  kept  shall  be  a  grammar  school  for  the  purpose 
of  teaching  the  Latin,  and  Greek  languages,  as  well  as  the 
aforesaid  branches."  The  above  law  also  required  that 
each  candidate  for  a  school  should  bring  letters  regarding 
his  qualifications  from  some  well-known  teacher,  minis- 
ter, principal  of  academy  or  president  of  a  college. 

The  selectmen  were  held  responsible  for  collecting  the 
full  amount  thus  assessed  for  school  purposes.  The  idea 
of  compelling  each  town  to  provide  at  least  a  certain  defi- 
nite amount  for  school  purposes  was  found  to  be  a  great 
improvement  over  the  old  methods,  and  in  1791  the 
amount  was  increased  from  five  pounds  on  every  twenty 
shillings  of  the  state  assessment  to  seven  pounds  ten 
shillings.  This  law  stood  in  force  until  1805,  when  a  law 
of  far-reaching  importance  was  passed  enabling  towns 
to  divide  into  school  districts,  the  districts  to  raise  money 

87 


STATE  BUILDERS 

by  taxation  for  the  purpose  of  building  and  repairing 
schoolhouses.  This  law  produced  the  desired  effect,  and 
a  great  many  schoolhouses  were  erected  under  its  pro- 
visions. It  is  interesting  to  note  that  in  some  towns  a 
vote  was  passed  to  divide  the  township  into  "squadrons" 
instead  of  districts.  Just  where  this  term  squadron  origi- 
nated is  not  clear,  unless  it  was  taken  from  the  military 
idea. 

The  location  of  the  district  school  was  often  the  source 
of  endless  quarrels,  although  generally  a  compromise  was 
agreed  upon  so  that  all  pupils  would  have  to  travel  about 
the  same  distance,  which  accounts  for  finding  school- 
houses  perched  in  the  most  out  of  the  way  and  unlocked 
for  places,  with  sometimes  not  a  single  farmhouse  in 
sight. 

In  1807  a  fourth  law  was  passed  raising  the  school 
rate  to  seventy  dollars  for  every  dollar  of  the  state  tax, 
the  money  to  be  expended  for  teaching  reading,  writing 
and  arithmetic,  and  at  the  same  time  annulling  the  law 
that  required  a  school  to  be  held  in  shire  and  half  shire 
towns  in  which  Latin  and  Greek  were  to  be  taught. 
Whether  this  was  because  the  general  court  deemed  that 
the  eleven  academies  now  in  existence  were  amply  suffi- 
cient to'  take  care  of  such  students  as  wished  to  taste  the 
higher  education,  or  whether  it  was  believed  that  greater 
general  good  would  come  to  the  state  by  the  expenditure 
of  the  entire  amount  for  the  betterment  of  the  common 
schools,  is  not  known.  It  is  certainly  true,  however,  that 
from  this  time  academies  took  the  place  of  the  old  gram- 
mar schools  and  flourished  in  great  numbers. 

The  effect  these  academies  have  wrought  upon  the 
towns  in  which  they  were  located  is  hard  to  measure. 
They  have  brought  an  air  of  culture  and  an  appreciation 
of  educational  values  to  homes  which  without  the  aca- 
demic influence  would  have  been  without  mental  or  moral 
uplift.  The  day  of  the  academy  may  be  past,  but  its 


STATE  BUILDERS 

influence  is  not  past,  and  it  will  last  so  long  as  the  town 
forms  the  unit  of  New  England  life. 

The  school  law  of  1807,  which,  indirectly,  was  so 
effective  in  the  establishment  of  academies,  was  followed 
a  year  later  by  a  law  containing  a  clause  in  regard  to  the 
supervision  of  schools,  which  is  the  first  official  mention 
we  have  in  the  New  Hampshire  records  that  there  was 
deemed  any  need  of  such  supervision.  The  law  read  that 
the  towns  should  appoint  a  committee  of  three  or  more 
persons  who  should  inspect  the  schools  annually  in  "a 
manner  which  they  might  judge  most  conducive  to  the 
progress  of  literature,  morality  and  religion."  This  law 
also  increased  the  number  of  branches  to  be  taught,  and 
beside  reading,  writing  and  arithmetic,  English  grammar 
and  geography  were  added.  School  mistresses,  however, 
were  allowed  to  do  away  with  arithmetic  and  geography, 
and  "in  place  thereof  to  substitute  such  other  branches 
as  are  deemed  necessary  for  female  education." 

In  1812  the  state  established  a  literary  fund.  This 
was  done  for  the  sole  purpose  of  founding  a  state  college. 
The  funds  were  to  be  raised  by  taxing  each  year  the  bank- 
ing corporations  throughout  the  state  one-half  of  one  per 
cent  on  their  actual  capital  stock.  In  1828  the  idea  of 
founding  a  college  was  abandoned,  and  the  funds  then 
available,  amounting  to  sixty-four  thousand  dollars,  were 
distributed  to  the  different  towns  according  to  their  ap- 
portionment of  the  public  taxes.  The  money  was  to  go 
toward  the  support  of  the  public  schools,  and  it  was  in 
addition  to  the  amount  required  by  law.  In  1848  the 
basis  of  distribution  was  changed,  and  up  to  the  present 
time  it  has  been  made  upon  the  relative  number  of  chil- 
dren attending  two  weeks  or  more  in  the  several  towns 
during  the  year.* 

In  1827  the  legislature  passed  a  law  the  spirit  of  which 

*  The  present  law  (1902)  is  identical,  except  that  the  tax  is  levied  on 
banking  funds  held  by  non-residents. 

89 


STATE  BUILDERS 

remains  active  even  to  the  present  time.  It  accurately 
defined  how  the  town  should  be  divided  into  districts, 
and  laid  down  provisions  regarding  the  authority  of 
school  districts  and  their  officers.  It  also  proportioned 
the  money  to  each  school  district.  The  qualifications  for 
teachers  were  raised  and  the  law  required  all  pupils  to  be 
provided  with  books,  either  by  parents  or  guardians,  or 
at  the  public  expense  in  case  of  the  needy.  A  superin- 
tending school  committee  were  also  to  be  appointed  an- 
nually, who  were  to  visit  all  the  schools  in  their  respective 
towns  at  least  twice  a  year,  determine  upon  the  proper 
text  books  and  aid  the  teacher  to  maintain  a  full  and 
regular  attendance. 

In  addition  to  the  above  mentioned  duties  this  superin- 
tending committee  were  to  make  an  annual  report  stating 
the  time  each  school  had  run,  the  names  of  the  teachers, 
the  whole  number  of  pupils  between  four  and  fourteen 
that  had  not  attended  school  and  the  number  between 
fourteen  and  twenty-one  who  could  not  read  and  write. 
The  only  difficulty  with  this  law  was  the  fact  that  there 
was  no  provision  for  collecting  the  statistics  from  the 
several  towns  into  one  report. 

In  1829  a  law  was  passed  that  each  school  district,  ex- 
cept in  the  town  of  Portsmouth,  for  which  special  laws 
had  been  passed,  should  appoint  a  committee  not  greater 
than  three  which  should  be  called  the  prudential  commit- 
tee. This  committee  was  supposed  to  have  charge  of  the 
school  moneys.  They  called  the  district  school  meetings, 
selected  teachers,  furnished  fuel  for  the  schoolhouses, 
attended  to  the  minor  repairs,  and  made  such  report  to 
the  superintending  committee  as  would  be  of  assistance 
to  them  in  their  work.  By  the  law  of  1833  the  superin- 
tending committees  were  practically  done  away  with  and 
all  of  their  powers  were  assumed  by  the  prudential  com- 
mittees. 

The  rate  of  assessment  had  steadily  increased  by  vari- 

90 


STATE  BUILDERS 

ous  acts  of  the  legislature.  In  1840  it  was  one  hundred 
dollars  for  every  dollar  of  the  public  tax.  In  1852  it  was 
one  hundred  thirty-five  dollars,  in  1853  it  was  one  hun- 
dred fifty  dollars,  in  1854  it  was  one  hundred  seventy-five 
dollars,  in  1855  two  hundred  dollars,  and  in  1870  two 
hundred  fifty  dollars.*  A  town  was  not  restricted  to  the 
sum  thus  raised,  but  could  add  to  the  amount  as  much  as 
it  pleased.  About  1840  the  advantages  of  graded  schools 
began  to  appear,  and  the  men  interested  in  educational 
matters  throughout  the  state  strove  to  get  some  law  upon 
the  statute  books  which  would  enable  the  New  Hampshire 
schools  to  take  advantage  of  the  graded  system.  Accord- 
ingly in  1840  an  act  was  passed  allowing  a  school  to  be 
graded  when  the  pupils  should  number  fifty  or  more, 
and  the  most  progressive  towns  were  quick  to  avail  them- 
selves of  this  privilege.  In  1845  the  authority  was  given 
to  "any  two  or  more  contiguous  school  districts  in  any 
town  or  towns  in  this  state  to  associate  together  and  form 
a  union  for  the  purpose  of  establishing  and  maintaining 
a  high  school  or  schools  for  the  instruction  of  the  older 
and  more  advanced  scholars  belonging  to  the  associated 
districts." 

In  1846  a  state  commissioner  of  common  schools  was 
appointed  whose  duty  compelled  him  "to  spend  at  least 
twenty  weeks  in  the  different  counties  of  the  state  for 
the  purpose  of  promoting,  by  inquiries,  addresses  and 
other  means,  the  cause  of  education."  He  was  also  re- 
quired to  make  an  annual  report  from  the  statistics  which 
the  committees  of  the  several  towns  were  obliged  to  fur- 
nish. Two  years  later  the  "Somersworth  Act"  was 
passed,  which  allowed  school  districts,  independent  of  the 
town,  to  raise  money  for  the  maintenance  of  high  schools. 
The  effect  of  this  law  was  far  reaching,  and  many  dis- 
tricts took  advantage  of  its  provisions  and  founded  high 
schools. 

*  In  1902  the  rate  is  six  hundred  dollars. 

91 


STATE  BUILDERS 

The  exact  status  of  the  town  superintending  committee 
is  a  difficult  one  to  define.  From  1827  until  1848  their 
duties  ranged  from  having  entire  control  of  the  schools 
to  being  merely  an  advisory  body.  In  fact,  as  has  been 
noted,  between  1833  and  1846  the  superintending  com- 
mittee could  be  dispensed  with  entirely  if  the  town  so 
desired.  'In  1859  a  bill  was  passed  somewhat  enlarging 
the  duties  of  the  superintending  committee,  although  in 
all  important  points  it  was  identical  with  the  law  of  1827. 
They  were  to  select  and  dismiss  teachers,  prescribe  rules 
of  conduct  for  the  pupils,  decide  what  text  books  should 
be  used  and  also  the  courses  of  study  to  be  followed.  Each 
teacher  was  to>  be  supplied  with  a  register,  and  the  com- 
mittee were  obliged  at  the  end  of  the  year  to  summarize 
and  return  to  the  state  officer  certain  statistics  from  the 
same. 

The  first  law  restricting  the  employment  of  children 
in  manufacturing  establishments  was  passed  in  1848. 
Since  this  time  the  law  has  been  greatly  strengthened  by 
enactment  at  various  sessions  of  the  legislature.  At  pres- 
ent, it  is  such  that  no  child  under  fourteen  can  be  em- 
ployed while  the  schools  are  in  session;  no  child  between 
fourteen  and  sixteen  years  old  can  be  employed  unless  he 
can  read  and  write  in  English;  and  no  child  between  six- 
teen and  twenty-one  shall  be  employed  who  cannot  read 
and  write  in  English,  unless  he  is  a  regular  attendant 
upon  the  evening  schools  while  they  are  in  session,  such 
evening 'schools  to  be  established  in  manufacturing  towns 
upon  petition  signed  by  5  per  cent  of  the  legal  voters. 

In  1850  the  office  of  the  state  commissioner  of  common 
schools  was  abolished,  and  in  its  place  a  board  of  county 
school  commissioners  was  appointed,  the  board  to  elect 
its  own  secretary,  who  was  to  prepare  statistics  and  re- 
ports. It  was  the  duty  of  this  county  board  to  recom- 
mend books,  methods  of  instruction,  rules  of  discipline, 
etc.  Each  commissioner  was  obliged  to  spend  at  least 

92 


STATE  BUILDERS 

one  day  in  each  town  of  his  district  at  some  time  during 
the  year.  He  was  also  obliged  to  take  charge  of  county  in- 
stitutions, which  were  becoming  popular,  and  for  their 
time  served  an  excellent  purpose.  This  board  of  county 
school  commissioners  continued  until  1867,  when  it  was 
discontinued,  and  again  one  man  was  placed  at  the  head 
of  the  educational  affairs  of  the  state.  This  officer  was 
now  termed  the  superintendent  of  public  instruction,  and 
he  with  the  governor  and  council  constituted  the  State 
Board  of  Education. 

In  1868  a  bill  was  passed  requiring  each  county  to  hold 
a  teacher's  institute  annually  at  the  expense  of  the  state. 
This  law,  followed  closely  by  one  passed  in  1870  estab- 
lishing a  State  Normal  School,  marks  a  period  of  decided 
awakening  to  the  needs  of  educational  improvement,  and 
aside  from  a  slight  setback  in  1874,  when  the  state  failed 
to  make  any  appropriation  for  institutes  and  did  away 
for  a  short  time  with  a  state  superintendent,  the  progress 
in  educational  matters  has  been  steady  if  not  rapid. 

The  district  system,  which  at  the  time  of  its  inception, 
had  proved  useful  to  the  educational  interest  of  the  state, 
was  abolished  and  the  town  was  again  made  the  unit; 
and  as  was  the  case  previous  to  1805,  all  the  schools  in 
the  town  were  placed  in  charge  of  one  board  of  educa- 
tion. This  law,  however,  did  not  apply  to  such  districts 
as  had  availed  themselves  of  the  "Somersworth  Act,"  and 
had  formed  special  districts.  The  boards  of  education 
were  to  consist  of  three  members  each  and  they  were 
elected  at  the  annual  town  meeting,  each  member  to  hold 
office  for  three  years.  This  "town  district"  act  made  the 
length  of  the  school  year  uniform,  gave  the  same  advan- 
tages to  all  children  living  in  the  town,  which  had  been 
impossible  under  the  old  law,  equalized  the  burdens  of 
taxation  and  in  many  other  ways  improved  the  educa- 
tional condition. 

In   1895  a  law  was  passed  looking  toward  the  state 

93 


STATE  BUILDERS 

certification  of  all  teachers.  The  law  as  passed,  however, 
has  amounted  to  but  little,  since  it  placed  no  obligation 
upon  school  boards  to  engage  certificated  teachers  only. 
A  law  was  also  passed  requiring  school  boards  to  appoint 
some  agent  to  take  an  annual  census  of  the  children  of 
school  age.  The  same  year  a  law  was  enacted  allowing 
two  or  more  towns  to  unite  and  hire  a  superintendent  of 
schools.  Very  little  was  done,  however,  under  this  pro- 
vision, but  four  years  later  the  state  agreed  to  pay  half 
of  the  superintendent's  salary  where  towns  united  for  the 
purpose  of  hiring  a  skilled  supervisor.  With  this  induce- 
ment many  such  supervisory  districts  have  been  formed. 
This  law  bids  fair  to  become  one  of  far-reaching  impor- 
tance. The"  employment  of  a  person  well  skilled  in  the 
needs  of  the  schools  to  take  the  place  of  town  boards 
cannot  be  otherwise  than  beneficial  to  the  schools.  At  the 
same  session  a  law  was  passed  giving  state  aid  for  the 
support  of  schools  in  the  poorer  towns.  The  sum  thus 
given  amounts  to  about  twenty  thousand  dollars  annually. 
In  1901  the  legislature  passed  a  most  excellent  law  by 
which  all  towns  not  having  a  high  school  were  obliged 
to  pay  the  tuition  to  some  town  which  did  maintain  a  high 
school  of  such  pupils  as  were  fitted  to  enter.  It  was  also 
arranged  for  the  state  to  aid  the  towns  upon  which  the 
above  would  work  a  hardship. 

Deductions  have  recently  been  drawn,  from  the  fact 
that  New  Hampshire's  place,  according  to  the  ratio  of 
illiteracy,  has  fallen  considerably  in  the  last  thirty  years, 
that  the  schools  of  to-day  would  suffer  by  comparison 
with  those  of  thirty  years  ago.  Careful  examination  into 
the  history  of  education  in  our  state,  however,  will  show 
that  this  deduction  is  entirely  without  foundation.  Take, 
for  instance,  the  State  Superintendent's  report  for  1870, 
in  which  he  says:  "One-half  the  schools  in  the  state 
average  less  than  twelve  pupils;  the  average,  including 
city  and  village  schools,  is  only  eighteen.  The  average 

94 


STATE  BUILDERS 

attendance  of  pupils  was  only  two-thirds  the  total  num- 
ber; that  is,  one-third  of  the  school  money  was  absolutely 
thrown  away  in  consequence  of  the  number  absent  from 
school.  A  decrease  in  the  amount  of  money  expended 
for  schools,  and  in  the  number  of  weeks  of  school,  is 
reported,  because  the  dog  tax  was  not  available  this 
year/' 

Comparing-  this  state  of  things  with  those  of  to-day, 
there  is  absolutely  no  question  but  that  the  pupils  in  the 
common  schools  of  the  state  are  infinitely  better  off  now 
than  then.  It  would  appear  that  the  real  cause  of  the 
apparent  increase  in  illiteracy  is  due  primarily  to  the 
large  influx  during  the  last  thirty  years  of  a  French 
speaking  population,  whose  percentage  of  illiteracy  is  far 
greater  than  that  of  the  native  Americans.  Moreover, 
these  French  people  have  brought  into  our  midst  parochial 
schools  where  emphasis  is  placed  upon  the  teaching  of 
their  native  tongue,  and  it  is  doubtless  true  that  many 
times  in  census  taking  the  inability  to  read  and  write  in 
English  has  been  accepted  as  prima  facie  evidence  that 
the  person  was  illiterate,  when,  if  the  inquiry  had  been 
more  thorough,  the  person  would  have  been  found  per- 
fectly competent  to  read  and  write  in  French. 

The  ability  and  professional  zeal  of  the  teachers  in  New 
Hampshire  is  evidenced  in  many  ways.  While  their 
salaries  have  been  exceedingly  small,  the  quality  of 
teaching  has  been  altogether  out  of  proportion  to  the 
amount  received.  In  1853  at  a  time  when  the  state  re- 
fused all  aid  in  holding  teachers'  institutes,  the  teachers 
not  being  willing  to  forego  the  inspiration  of  such  meet- 
ings, have  maintained  since  that  time  and  paid  for  out 
of  their  meagre  salaries  a  state  teacher's  association 
which  has  met  each  year  for  the  discussion  of  educational 
problems. 

To  give  a  true  history  of  the  education  of.  the  state  is 
impossible,  since  it  would  be  necessary  to  trace  the  im- 

95 


STATE  BUILDERS 

press  made  upon  the  minds  of  each  individual  child  by 
his  or  her  teacher  through  the  time  in  which  education 
has  been  in  progress.  The  teacher  is  the  unit  of  educa- 
tional value;  obviously  his  work  cannot  be  weighed  and 
measured.  "It  is  said  that  Jupiter  on  one  occasion  made 
a  proclamation  that  he  would  crown  the  person  with  im- 
mortality, who  had  done  the  most  good,  and  been  the 
greatest  blessing  to  his  fellow-men.  The  competitors  were 
numerous;  the  warrior,  the  statesman,  the  sculptor  and 
painter,  the  musican  and  benevolent,  all  pressed  their 
claims.  But  Jupiter  seeing  an  old  gray-headed,  sage 
looking  man  standing  far  behind  the  rest,  and  apparently 
taking  no  active  part  in  the  matter,  asked  him  what  made 
him  look  so  smiling?  "Ah!"  the  old  man  said:  "it 
amuses  me,  since  all  these  competitors  were  once  my  pu- 
pils." "Crown  him,"  said  Jupiter,  "and  seat  him  at  my 
right  hand." 


96 


ECCLESIASTICAL 

BY  JOHN  ALDEN 

Staunch  and  large  was  the  ship  Mary  and  John  of  the 
Winthrop  fleet  which  left  Plymouth,  England,  early  in 
the  spring  of  1630,  carrying  one  hundred  and  forty  pas- 
sengers, "godly  families  and  people,"  led  by  their  two 
ministers,  and  bound  for  the  shores  of  Massachusetts  Bay. 
Ten  years  had  passed  away  since  the  Pilgrim  Fathers 
had  landed  in  midwinter  on  the  bleak,  inhospitable  shores 
of  that  smaller  bay  to  the  south,  since  then  immortalized 
and  revered  by  the  name  "Plymouth,"  and  there  under 
circumstances  and  conditions  in  severity  and  discourage- 
ments unparalleled  in  history,  had  successfully  set  up  a 
commonwealth  "in  the  name  of  God." 

While  the  Puritans  under  John  Winthrop  were  not 
Pilgrims,  the  Pilgrims  were  essentially,  if  not  wholly, 
Puritans,  and  therefore  the  coming  of  this  larger  band 
to  so1  near  a  point  as  Massachusetts  Bay  greatly  strength- 
ened and  raised  the  hopes  of  the  original  colony.  The 
people  of  both  settlements  had  the  same  object  in  view, 
the  upbuilding  of  a  religious  community.  They  each  de- 
sired to  attain  the  grace  of  God  by  devotion  to  duty. 
This  was  the  cardinal  principle  of  their  lives;  all  else 
was  subservient  to  this  purpose.  Their  material  pros- 
perity and  welfare  and  the  gain  of  worldly  power  and 
wealth,  were  all  of  secondary  consideration,  even  if 
thought  of  these  were  ever  entertained.  Their  belief  in 
individual  responsibility  to  divine  law  was  of  the  intensest 

97 


STATE  BUILDERS 

nature  and  to  win  souls  to  Christ  and  to  advance  the 
interests  of  the  kingdom  of  God  in  their  realm  was  their 
daily  (not  alone  weekly)  concern.  The  Puritan  accepted 
the  New  Covenant  in  the  fullest  measure  but  he  never 
ceased  to  be  an  Old  Testament  or  Old  Covenant  Christian. 
He  observed  the  teachings  of  the  entire  Bible,  conform- 
ing to  what  it  taught  and  commanded  and  not  seeking 
to  cause  the  book  to  conform  to  his  views.  His  religion 
was  rigid,  exacting  and  non-compromising.  The  teach- 
ings of  Christ  were  to  him  of  a  non-elastic,  inflexible 
character  and  if  at  this  day  he  seems  to  have  been  un- 
necessarily austere  and  unbending  it  must  be  remembered 
that  in  his  so  living  he  believed  he  was  fulfilling  the 
divine  injunction.  He  was  sturdy,  steadfast,  useful  and 
true.  His  whole  life  centred  in  his  religion.  For  that 
he  lived  and  toiled,  timing  his  every  act  and  thought,  as 
though  it  was  his  last  upon  earth.  Above  all  he  moved 
with  a  heart  filled  with  gratitude  to  God  for  unnumbered 
blessings,  even  though  his  daily  path  was  one  of  thorns 
and  tribulations  and  hardships.  One  of  the  Winthrop 
party  on  the  ship  Mary  and  John  wrote  of  the  voyage: 
"So  we  came  by  the  good  hand  of  the  Lord  through  the 
deeps  comfortably,  having  preaching  and  expounding  of 
the  Word  of  God  every  day." 

The  Bible  of  the  Puritan  was  opened  every  day.  He 
had  a  family  altar  and  his  worship  there  was  sincere,  open 
and  heartfelt,  and  never  perfunctory.  There  was  a  daily 
heart  searching  and  a  constant  prayer  for  strength  to 
resist  the  will  of  the  flesh.  Like  the  children  of  Israel 
they  were  sustained  by  a  steadfast  confidence  in  an  over- 
ruling Providence.  Loyalty  to  God,  to  his  neighbor,  and 
to  the  civil  law  were  characteristics  of  the  Puritan  life. 
Material  expediency  played  no  part  in  his  being,  if  it 
to  the  least  degree  questioned  the  integrity  of  his  religious 
profession. 

It  is  a  notable  fact  that  both  the  Pilgrims  and  the 

98 


STATE  BUILDERS 

Winthrop  Puritans,  by  which  last  statement  is  meant 
that  "Godly  assembly  of  men  and  women"  who  made 
the  first  settlement  at  Boston,  were  already  organized  into 
church  and  town  bodies  at  the  time  of  their  arrival  in 
New  England,  and  the  custom  of  gathering  a  church  was 
a  common  one  when  a  new  settlement  had  been  decided 
upon,  not  waiting  for  its  actual  consummation. 

The  early  Puritans  and  other  denominations  called  an 
organized  body  of  worshippers  a  "church"  and  the  build- 
ing for  religious  services  a  "meeting  house."  Thus  the 
early  New  England  records  are  replete  with  dates  at 
which  such  and  such  a  church  was  "gathered." 

The  religious  creed  or  church  polity  of  the  Puritans 
did  not  disappear  with  the  passing  of  the  first  generation 
of  settlers  but  rather  did  it  wax  stronger,  more  aggressive 
and  just  as  devout  as  the  work  laid  down  by  the  fathers 
was  taken  up  by  the  children  of  another  generation. 
Still  another  fact  should  be  kept  in  mind  as  a  study  of 
the  Puritan  and  his  ways  is  pursued,  and  it  is  that  New 
England  came  to  be  peopled  throughout  its  whole  domain 
practically  by  the  descendants  of  those  who  reached  its 
shores  in  the  years  between  1620  and  1660  or  thereabouts. 
New  England  in  the  first  century  or  more  after  the 
Pilgrim  settlement  at  Plymouth  had  no  special  attraction 
to  the  non-Puritan  emigrant  and  the  comparatively  few 
of  this  class  that  did  come  returned  for  the  most  part  to 
the  land  from  whence  they  had  come,  presumably  not 
caring  to  live  the  sturdy  and  energetic  life  enjoined  upon 
all  by  the  uncompromising  Puritan,  whose  religious  creed 
was  not  of  the  "easy"  type. 

The  real  peopling  and  development  of  New  England 
as  a  geographical  whole  was  by  a  race  native  to  the  land 
and  this  fact  has  its  historical  counterpart  by  the  grow- 
ing up  in  the  Wilderness  of  a  new  generation  of  Israelites 
to  take  possession  of  the  land  of  Canaan.  What  is  espe- 
cially significant  about  that  generation  of  the  children  of 

99 


STATE  BUILDERS 

Israel  that  grew  up  in  the  Wilderness  was  their  develop- 
ment, physically  and  intellectually,  under  conditions  radi- 
cally different  from  those  of  their  fathers  in  the  land  of 
Egypt.  First,  their  foods  were  not  at  all  like  those  of 
Egypt,  but,  under  divine  direction,  such  as  were  calculated 
to  build  aright  every  element  of  the  body.  They  ate 
no  unclean  thing,  no  adulterated  food  passed  their  lips, 
but  everything  they  ate  was  natural  in  its  organization. 
They  thus  became  physically  robust,  strong  and  vigorous. 
The  forty  years  in  the  Wilderness  was  a  period  of  pre- 
paration under  a  new  regime,  new  conditions,  and  a  new 
creed,  as  respects  the  relationship  of  man  to  his  Maker. 

Strikingly  similar  to  the  record  of  those  whom  Moses 
led  up  out  of  the  land  of  bondage  is  that  of  the  Pilgrims 
and  Puritans  of  New  England.  Once  established  upon 
New  England  soil  they  began  to  subsist  upon  the  foods 
common  to  the  land.  Their  habitations  were  wholly  dif- 
ferent from  those  of  the  mother  country  and  the  one 
occupation  of  the  great  mass  was  farming.  The  country 
which  they  had  settled  was  commonly  referred  to  in 
speech  and  in  the  written  word  as  the  "New  Canaan," 
the  ''New  English  Canaan,"  and  the  "New  England 
Canaan." 

The  larger  part  of  a  century  was  needed  to  bring  the 
population  of  all  New  England  up  to  one  hundred  thou- 
sand souls.  In  1676,  or  exactly  fifty  years  after  the  land- 
ing at  Plymouth,  New  Hampshire  contained  four  thou- 
sand people  located  principally  in  the  coast  region.  Upon 
the  organization  of  the  colonies  of  New  Plymouth  and 
Massachusetts  Bay  in  1691  into  the  province  of  Massa- 
chusetts it  contained  a  total  of  seventy-one  thousand 
people,  the  settlements  extending  from  the  coast  to  the 
Connecticut  river.  Connecticut  and  Rhode  Island  were 
the  next  most  populous  colonies  in  New  England,  while 
Maine  and  New  Hampshire  were  about  even  as  respects 
the  number  of  their  inhabitants  down  to  the  opening  of 


STATE  BUILDERS 

the  eighteenth  century,  when  New  Hampshire  received 
through  successive  decades  a  most  valuable  overflow  of 
population  from  Massachusetts  and  Connecticut  and  a 
most  vital  gain  in  quantity  and  quality  by  the  coming  of 
the  Scotch-Irish  to  that  portion  of  the  state  called  in 
state  history  Nutfield. 

As  the  Pilgrims  declared  in  the  compact  entered  into 
and  signed  without  dissent  or  hesitation  in  the  cabin  of 
the  Mayflower  that  the  purpose  of  the  undertaking, — that 
is  the  founding  of  the  colony  at  Plymouth, — "was  for  ye 
glorie  of  God  and  advancement  of  ye  Christian  faith," 
that  declaration  of  purpose  was  the  keynote  and  con- 
trolling motive  of  the  successive  generations  for  at  least 
two  and  a  third  centuries.  The  Puritan  idea  of  morality 
and  religion  and  the  Puritan  Sabbath  remained  inviolate 
during  all  this  time  of  New  England  history  and  as  there 
was  a  continuous  moving  westward  into  new  and  unex- 
plored territory  by  her  sons  and  daughters  they  carried 
these  principles  and  planted  them  in  the  great  West  and 
North-West  and  thereby  made  possible  the  fact  that  there 
is  to-day  one  and  only  one  United  States  of  America. 

Especially  is  it  true  that  down  to  the  second  half  of 
the  nineteenth  century  New  Hampshire  was  a  home  of  the 
Pilgrim  and  Puritan  descendant,  speaking  of  the  state 
as  a  whole.  The  faith  of  the  church  of  the  Scotch-Irish 
descendant  was  scarcely  dissimilar  to  the  original  Ortho- 
dox first  planted  on  the  shores  at  Plymouth,  Boston  and 
Salem  and  the  founders  of  the  Presbyterian  creed  in  New 
Hampshire  came  hither  for  exactly  the  same  purpose  as 
did  the  first  Puritans.  Born  of  the  church  which  the 
Pilgrim  Fathers  had  gathered  ere  reaching  the  shores 
of  the  "New  Canaan/'  was  that  greatest  of  all  things  in 
the  modern  record  of  the  human  race, — Constitutional 
Liberty,  and  as  they  gathered  together  churches,  through- 
out New  England  they  likewise  planted  school  houses 
and  the  extent  to  which  the  Puritan  and  his  descendants 


STATE  BUILDERS 

have  taxed  themselves  for  the  cause  of  popular  education 
has  no  parallel  in  history. 

Notwithstanding  the  historical  truths  that  the  first  few 
settlements  in  New  Hampshire  were  made  for  trade  and 
commercial  gain  to  the  neglect  of  religion  in  general, 
and  that  here  and  there  about  the  state  were  settlements 
without  churches,  the  fact  prevails  that  as  colony,  prov- 
ince, and  state,  New  Hampshire  has  ever  been  a  commu- 
nity in  which  the  church  and  schoolhouse  were  funda- 
mental factors  of  its  life.  No  less  have  her  people  in  every 
generation  been  known  for  mental  alertness  and  activity 
and  a  disposition  for  intellectual  speculation,  progress, 
and  investigation.  Taking  the  state  as  a  whole  her  first 
settlers  came  within  her  borders  with  a  well  defined  pur- 
pose which  was  to  advance  the  Christian  faith  by  spiritual 
living  and  this  purpose  was  adhered  to  down1  to  a  remote 
time  even  if  it  is  not  in  the  opening  years  of  the  twentieth 
century.  The  founding  of  a  settlement  was  practically 
coeval  with  the  gathering  of  a  church  and  the  formal 
organization  of  each  was  inaugurated  by  a  season  of 
fasting,  humiliation,  and  prayer  as  an  invocation  for 
Divine  guidance  and  blessing.  The  whole  town  was  in 
those  early  days  the  congregation  and  the  ultimate  deci- 
sion and  final  decrees  were  vested  with  the  whole  congre- 
gation. The  ministry  was  the  selected  guide  of  the 
church  and  town  but  not  the  master  in  any  sense.  In- 
dividual favor  with  God  as  a  reward  for  obedience  and 
fidelity  was  no  less  believed  in  than  was  individual  re- 
sponsibility to  Omnipotence. 

The  first  colonists  in  what  is  now  New  Hampshire 
were  the  mere  agents  or  representatives  of  commercial 
interests  in  England.  The  establishment  of  a  trading  post 
or  commercial  community  was  the,  sole  or  at  least  princi- 
pal motive.  The  object  in  view  was  to  get  the  maximum 
measure  of  wealth  out  of  the  holdings  without  thought  of 
the  general  common  weal.  As  this  was  the  domi- 

102 


STATE  BUILDERS 

nant  idea  it  became  the  dominant  characteristic,  for 
a  community  takes  on  the  characteristics  of  its  people 
every  time.  Commercialism  in  itself  lacks  a  founda- 
tion. At  its  best  it  is  a  characteristic  of  a  charac- 
teristic that  furnishes  a  stable  and  secure  under- 
pinning from  which  it  can  arise,  expand,  and  in- 
crease in  all  directions.  Commerce  and  trade  were 
almost  immediate  factors  in  the  Plymouth  settlement  and 
so  continued  with  a  singular  constancy,  but  it  was  ever 
held  as  secondary  to  that  primary  purpose  of  building 
a  commonwealth  dedicated  to  religion  and  morality. 

The  settlements  on  the  banks  of  the  Piscataqua  had 
among  its  leaders  and  first  comers  two  brothers,  Edward 
and  William  Hilton;  both  were  able  and  good  men  and 
the  inference  seems  to  be  justified  that  they  were  represen- 
tative merchants  of  their  time.  Nearly  a  century  passed 
ere  the  settlements  in  all  the  Piscataqua  region  took  on 
a  very  vigorous  life  and  made  marked  progress  in  gain 
of  population  and  material  substance.  Ten  years  passed 
away  before  the  first  meeting  house  in  New  Hampshire, 
at  Dover,  was  built  and  when  forty-seven  years  had  been 
counted  from  the  date  of  that  first  settlement  in  1623, 
Dover,  Exeter  and  Hampton,  alone  in  all  the  colony  had 
settled  ministers.  The  close  of  the  eighteenth  century 
saw  only  five  Congregational  churches  and  the  fifth  of 
these  was  in  Dunstable,  now  Nashua.  By  1638  Ports- 
mouth had  an  Episcopal  chapel  with  its  settled 
rector,  but  it  was  not  until  1640  that  regular  pro- 
vision was  made  for  the  support  of  an  orthodox 
ministry  in  the  town  and  still  another  seventeen 
years  passed  before  the  construction  of  a  meet- 
ing house  began,  and  a  minister,  Joshua  Moodey,  was 
called  to  become  a  settled  pastor.  The  building  of  the 
meeting  house  and  the  calling  of  the  minister  appears 
to  have  quickened  the  spiritual  life  of  the  community 
for  it  is  recorded  that  the  town  ordered  a  cage  to  be 

103. 


STATE  BUILDERS 

made  wherein  to  punish  those  attendants  upon  religious 
service  who  might  fall  asleep,  chew  tobacco,  or  be  guilty 
of  any  form  of  misdemeanor.  But  in  spite  of  the  de- 
cision to  call  a  pastor  and  build  a  meeting  house  it  yet 
required  thirteen  years  to  successfully  gather  a  church 
and  to  formally  ordain  Mr.  Moodey.  This  first  church 
in  Portsmouth  became  the  .Old  North  Church  of  historic 
fame.  One  of  its  pastors,  Samuel  Langdon,  became 
president  of  Harvard,  and  Rev.  Dr.  Stiles,  though  never 
formally  ordained  pastor  of  the  church,  became  president 
of  Yale. 

Coeval  with  the  settlement  at  Portsmouth  was  that  at 
Dover  and  it  was  likewise  by  the  Hiltons.  In  1633  a 
number  of  families  of  the  Puritan  faith  took  up  their 
abode  in  the  town  under  the  patronage  of  Lords  Say  and 
Brooke.  The  new  emigrants,  as  a  condition  of  their 
settlement,  had  been  furnished  a  minister  of  their  own 
faith  and  with  their  landing  was  perhaps  the  real  begin- 
ning of  the  ecclesiastical  history  of  New  Hampshire. 
The  first  pastor  of  the  little  flock  was  William  Leveridge. 
The  second  pastor  was  George  Burdett,  who  soon  after 
his  ordination  was  elected  governor  of  the  colony.  The 
third  spiritual  leader  of  the  pioneer  band  was  Hanserd 
Knollys,  under  whose  direction  and  effort  the  church  in 
Dover  was  gathered  in  1638,  fifteen  years  after  the  settle- 
ment by  the  Hiltons  and  five  years  after  the  coming 
of  the  Puritan  families  through  the  influence  and  aid 
of  Lords  Say  and  Brooke.  Upon  the  political  union 
of  New  Hampshire  with  Massachusetts  in  1641  the 
ecclesiastical  authorities  at  Boston  aided  in  the  direction 
of  the  Dover  church  and  in  the  person  of  Daniel  Maud 
sent  them  a  minister  who  became  popular  and  successful. 
During  his  pastorate  the  original  log  meeting  house  gave 
way,  in  1653,  to  a  more  pretentious  structure,  of  the 
following  accepted  plan :  "forty  foote  longe,  twenty  six 
foote  wide,  sixteen  foote  studd,  with  six  windows,  two 

104 


STATE  BUILDERS 

doores  fitt  for  such  a  house,  with  a  tile  covering,  and  to 
flanck  all  the  walls,  with  glass  and  nails  for  it." 

A  portion  at  least  of  the  original  settlers  of  the  town 
of  Hampton  went  there  as  a  regularly  organized  church. 
This  was  in  1638  and  the  Congregational  church  in  that 
town  is  the  oldest  in  the  state.  The  first  pastor  of  this 
pioneer  church  was  the  Rev.  Stephen  Bachiler,  whose 
descendants  for  generations  have  been  a  power  in  the 
up-building  of  the  material  and  spiritual  interests  of 
every  one  of  the  six  New  England  states.  Mr.  Bachiler 
had  reached  the  Psalmist's  limit  of  life  at  the  time  of  his 
settlement  in  Hampton,  a  fact  that  forcibly  illustrates 
the  sturdy  self  forgetfulness  and  heroic  devotion  to 
Divine  will  of  the  first  builders  of  the  New  England 
Canaan.  After  leaving  Hampton  Mr.  Bachiler  in  course  of 
time  returned  to  England,  where  he  died  a  centenarian. 

Still  another  church  of  special  and  great  historic  in- 
terest in  New  Hampshire  is  that  one  gathered  or  or- 
ganized in  Exeter,  likewise  in  1638.  The  prime  mover 
in  its  formation  was  John  Wheelwright,  said  to  have 
been  a  classmate  of  Oliver  Cromwell  in  Cambridge  Uni- 
versity, England.  Boston  was  his  first  home  in  America 
and  there  he  united  with  the  church  of  the  Puritans.  He 
was  a  man  of  genuine  ability  and  decided  individuality. 
He  was  a  brother-in-law  of  William  Hutchinson  whose 
wife,  Ann  Hutchinson,  was  the  founder  of  antinomianism 
in  New  England.  A  sermon  preached  by  Wheelwright 
caused  him  to  be  banished  from  the  colony  of  Massa- 
chusetts Bay.  He,  with  a  small  number  of  adherents, 
went  to  New  Hampshire  and  he  purchased  from  the  abori- 
gines a  vast  tract  of  land  lying  between  the  Merrimac 
and  Piscataqua  Rivers.  He  founded  the  town  of  Exeter 
and  formed  there  a  church.  Scarcely  four  years  elapsed 
after  these  events  when  the  whole  of  New  Hampshire 
came  under  the  jurisdiction  of  Massachusetts,  and  as  the 
sentence  of  banishment  still  hung  over  Mr.  Wlieelwright 

105 


STATE  BUILDERS 

he  was  compelled  to  seek  yet  another  home,  which  he  did 
in  Wells,  Maine.  After  a  brief  stay  in  Maine  the 
sentence  imposed  upon  him  was  removed  by  the  General 
Court  of  Massachusetts,  when  he  received  a  call  to  preach 
in  Hampton,  which  he  accepted. 

In  1685  what  is  now  the  First  Congregational  church 
in  Nashua,  was  organized,  the  fifth  in  number  in  the 
sixty-two  years  since  the  making  of  the  first  settlement 
at  Piscataqua.  To  people  living  in  the  twentieth  century 
this  seems  like  slow  progress,  but  all  circumstances  con- 
sidered, it  was  rapid  development,  indeed,  as  those  condi- 
tions are  studied  and  weighed  the  wonder  is  that  the  little 
bands  of  first  comers  should  have  been  able  to  overcome 
the  long  and  trying  list  of  difficulties,  perplexities,  and 
trials  which  in  time  they  did.  No  great  steamships  then 
came  freighted  with  the  surplus  population  of  the  Old 
World  as  now  they  do  daily.  The  region  all  about  was 
then  a  trackless  wilderness,  the  abode  of  wild  animals 
and  worse  wild  men.  But  there  was  growing  up  a  new 
race  of  men  and  women  native  to  the  land  and  putting 
on  those  national  traits  and  characteristics  that  was  to 
make  a  distinct  class.  Yet  again,  ere  the  close  of  the 
second  decade  of  the  eighteenth  century  came  the  advance 
guard  of  what  proved  a  mighty  element  in  the  popula- 
tion of  New  Hampshire,  New  England  and  all  the  colo- 
nies,— the  Scotch-Irish  Presbyterians  who  settled  the 
southern  central  portion  of  the  state. 

Between  these  Presbyterians  from  the  north  of  Ireland 
and  the  Puritans  there  was  a  close  community  of  interest 
as  respects  their  religious  creeds  and  professions.  In 
truth  the  terms  were  simply  interchangeable.  Both 
sought  religious  liberty  and  the  advancement  of  the 
Christian  faith.  Whenever  they  elected  to  build  a  home 
and  community  success  followed  the  effort.  Education 
came  in  with  morality  and  religion  and  material  pros- 
perity was  as  a  matter  of  course.  Londonderry  and  all 

106 


STATE  BUILDERS 

its  adjacent  territory  that  was  within  the  original  grants 
to  the  sturdy,  rugged,  steadfast,  and  progressive  Scotch- 
Irish  was  speedily  transformed  from  a  wilderness  into  a 
region  of  magnificent  estates,  of  spacious  homesteads, 
and  of  benign  influences.  The  spirit  of  the  Scotch-Irish 
permeated  every  nook  and  corner  of  the  state  and  crossed 
the  line  into  Massachusetts.  The  church  which  the  first 
comers  gathered  as  their  first  duty  performed  in  their 
Nutfield  home  is  still  intact  and  it  has  been  as  the  mother 
to  many  another  church  organization  throughout  the 
length  and  breadth  of  the  land. 

That  first  church  gathered  by  the  Scotch-Irish  in  that 
locality  originally  called  Nutfield,  built  its  first  meeting- 
house in  that  portion  of  its  grant  since  called  Derry,  or  to 
be  more  precise  in  the  village  of  East  Derry.  The 
original  company  consisted  of  sixteen  families  and  as 
soon  as  they  had  arrived  in  the  region  of  their  proposed 
new  home  they  held  a  service  of  prayer  in  a  little  field 
on  Westrunning  brook.  The  very  next  day  the  emi- 
grants again  assembled,  this  time  on  the  shore  of  Lake 
Tsienneto  or  Beaver  pond,  and  listened  to  the  preaching 
of  the  Word  by  Rev.  James  McGregoire,  the  spiritual 
leader  of  the  little  flock.  His  text  was  Isaiah  32  :2 : 
"And  a  man  shall  be  as  an  hiding  place  from  the  wind, 
and  a  covert  from  the  tempest;  as  rivers  of  waters  in  a 
dry  place,  as  the  shadow  of  a  rock  in  a  weary  land." 

An  old  account  describes  Mr.  McGregoire  as  a  man 
of  "distinguished  talents"  and  judging  from  the  works 
accomplished  by  the  members  of  his  flock  this  description 
may  be  given  with  singular  appropriateness  to  them  all, 
for  great  indeed  was  what  they  wrought. 

Without  unnecessary  delay  the  sixteen  families  or- 
ganized themselves  into  a  church  and  called  Mr.  Mc- 
Gregoire to  be  their  pastor  and  thus  came  into  being  the 
first  Presbyterian  church  organized  in  New  England.  No 
Presbytery  was  then  existent  in  New  England  but  this 

107 


STATE  BUILDERS 

did  not  deter  these  determined  and  Godly  pioneers  from 
ecclesiastical  organization.  Mr.  McGregoire  preached 
his  own  installation  sermon.  He  received  the  people  as 
his  pastoral  charge  and  they  received  him  as  their  pastor. 
His  text  on  the  occasion  of  his  installation  was  from 
Ezekiel  37:26:  ''Moreover  I  will  make  a  covenant  of 
peace  with  them;  it  shall  be  an  everlasting  covenant  with 
them:  and  I  will  place  them  and  multiply  them:  and 
will  set  my  sanctuary  in  the  midst  of  them  forever  more." 

Never  were  scriptural  words  more  appropriately 
selected  and  the  Divine  assurance  as  spoken  by  the 
prophet  of  old  never  failed  them  or  their  children.  They 
had  come  from  scenes  of  a  cruel  and  unjust  wrar,  and  of 
bitter,  relentless  persecution.  In  their  new  home  they 
found  a  covenant  of  peace,  good  will  and  liberty  of  con- 
science which  has  thus  far  continued.  They  grew  in 
number  and  great  has  been  the  strength  and  blessings 
of  their  children  in  all  the  generations  since.  The  sanc- 
tuary was  planted  in  their  midst  and  it  has  been  as  a 
beacon  unto  the  feet  of  their  posterity  to  this  day. 

The  growth  of  the  Presbyterian  colony  in  London- 
derry was  with  marked  rapidity.  Only  four  years  after 
the  colony  had  gathered  its  first  church  there  were  present 
on  the  occasion  of  a  communion  service  two  hundred 
and  thirty  persons.  At  the  communion  season  of  1732, 
thirteen  years  after  the  organization  of  the  church,  six 
hundred  communicants  were  present,  a  very  considerable 
community  in  itself  for  those  early  years  of  Xew  England 
development.  Nor  was  the  strength  of  the  Scotch-Irish 
settlement  in  New  Hampshire  designated  by  numbers 
alone.  It  had  quality  as  well  as  quantity  and  every 
man  among  them  was  a  true  state  builder.  The  entire 
state  felt  the  quickening  influence  of  their  example  and 
enterprise  in  the  work  of  creating  and  directing  a  material 
progress. 

With  the  opening  of  the  eighteenth  century  township 

ro8 


STATE  BUILDERS 

grants  began  to  be  made  with  greatly  increased  rapidity 
and  continued  unabated  throughout  the  entire  hundred 
years  and  down  into  the  nineteenth  century,  and  the 
worthy  character  of  the  people  who  made  the  successive 
township  settlements  was  what  gave  to  New  Hampshire 
its  secure  and  strong  foundation  upon  which  there  arose 
the  abiding  superstructure  of  a  magnificent  common- 
wealth. 

As  Higginson  says  of  Massachusetts  so  likewise  was 
New  Hampshire  "a  plantation  of  religion  and  not  of 
trade."  New  Hampshire  profited  throughout  the  eigh- 
teenth century  by  a  long  continued  overflow  of  popula- 
tion from  Connecticut  and  Massachusetts,  but  New 
Hampshire  well  repaid  the  benefits  of  this  immigration, 
and  in  kind,  by  sending  the  descendants  of  these  early 
pioneers  out  into  other  states  of  the  Union  during  practi- 
cally all  the  decades  of  the  nineteenth  century.  Especially 
has  Massachusetts  been  benefited  in  all  her  varied  mate- 
rial interests  by  the  influx  of  the  strong,  well-bred  and 
resourceful  sons  and  daughters  of  New  Hampshire  dur- 
ing the  past  fifty  years. 

People  of  the  Quaker  or  Friends  faith  were  early  in 
the  state  and  in  New  Hampshire  as  well  as  in  Massa- 
chusetts proved  a  thorn  in  the  religious  flesh  of  the  early 
Puritans.  As  a  sect  they  have  never  been  of  any  con- 
siderable number  in  New  Hampshire. 

As  respects  denominational  strength  the  Baptists  have 
always  ranked  second  after  the  Congregationalists  in.  New 
Hampshire.  Their  first  church  in  the  state  was  gathered 
in  the  town  of  Newton  in  1/55  and  it  is  still  in  existence 
and  at  this  writing  (1903)  has  nearly  reached  its  sesqui- 
centennial.  The  first  pastor  of  this  Newton  church  was 
Rev.  Walter  Powers,  whose  pastorate  continued  for 
nearly  forty  years.  In  1855  services  commemorative  of 
the  one  hundredth  anniversary  of  the  organization  of  the 
church  were  held.  The  sermon  on  the  occasion  was 

109 


STATE  BUILDERS 

preached  by  Rev.  O.  Aver  of  Claremont,  pastor  of  one 
of  the  largest  churches  of  the  denomination  at  that  time 
in  the  state. 

Some  authorities,  however,  state  that  the  church  or- 
ganized at  Dover  in  1638  was  essentially  Baptist  in  its 
doctrinal  creed.  Its  first  pastor.  Hanserd  Knollys,  upon 
his  return  to  England  became  prominently  identified  with 
the  denomination  and  continued  for  the  remainder  of  his 
life  a  notable  disciple  of  the  creed  and  church. 

Once  the  Baptists  had  obtained  a  foothold  in  New 
Hampshire,  their  growth  was  strong  and  rapid.  The 
denomination  was  a  mighty  force  in  the  settlement  of  the 
state  during  the  eighteenth  century,  its  members  braving 
the  dangers  and  enduring  the  hardships  of  pioneer  life  to 
an  extent  only  second  to  that  of  the  descendants  of  the 
Puritans  themselves. 

From  the  time  of  the  organization  of  the  little  church 
in  Xewton  to  the  close  of  the  same  century  the  Baptists 
had  in  the  state  a  total  of  twenty-five  churches,  and  of 
course  all  supported  by  the  voluntary  contributions  of  its 
members. 

In  1780  was  gathered  in  New  Durham  the  first  Free 
Will  Baptist  church  in  New  Hampshire,  and  according 
to  some  writers  and  ecclesiastical  authorities,  the  first  of 
the  denomination  in  the  country.  The  first  pastor  of  this 
New  Durham  church  was  Rev.  Benjamin  Randall,  who 
was  torn  in  the  town  of  New  Castle  in  1749.  In  his 
boyhood  and  early  manhood  life  he  followed  the  occu- 
pation of  sailmaker.  As  a  child  he  was  deeply  religious 
and  throughout  his  was  a  saintly  career.  At  first  he 
identified  himself  with  the  Congregationalists,  but  in 
1775  he  united  with  the  general  or  regular  Baptists  at 
New  Castle.  On  April  5,  1780,  he  was  ordained  as  an 
evangelist  at  New  Durham,  where  he  had  gathered  his 
little  flock  of  Free  Will  Baptists.  He  died  at  the  age  of 
fifty-nine,  October  22.  1808. 

no 


STATE  BUILDERS 

There  was  that  in  the  idea  of  the  Free  Will  Baptist 
creed  that  has  from  the  first  down  to<  the  present  appealed 
with  a  peculiar  force  to  the  people  of  all  Northern  New 
England  and  the  Maritime  Provinces.  In  Maine,  New 
Hampshire  and  Vermont  the  denomination  is  especially 
strong.  At  the  close  of  the  nineteenth  century  the  Free 
Will  Baptists  had  a  grand  total  of  one  hundred  churches, 
ninety-three  ordained  and  eight  licensed  ministers,  a 
church  property  valued  at  near  a  half  a  million  dollars  and 
some  eight  thousand  church  members. 

As  early  as  1/97  there  was  returned  to  the  New  Eng- 
land conference  a  list  of  ninety-two  members  of  a  Metho- 
dist Episcopal  church  in  Chesterfield.  By  the  year  1800 
the  denomination  had  in  the  state  one  hundred  and 
seventy-one  members  and  three  travelling  or  circuit 
preachers. 

The  growth  of  Methodism  throughout  the  nineteenth 
century  in  the  state  was  healthy,  strong  and  full  of  char- 
acter. It  early  established  a  conference  seminary  in  what 
is  now  Tilton,  and  this  seminary  became  a  decided  fac- 
tor in  the  educational  life  of  the  state.  At  the  close  of  the 
last  century  the  New  Hampshire  conference  had  a  total 
of  nearly  fourteen  thousand  church  members  divided 
among  one  hundred  and  thirty-five  churches. 

The  history  of  the  Protestant  Episcopal  church  in  New 
Hampshire  is  practically  coeval  wTith  the  settlement  of  the 
state.  An  Episcopal  chapel  was  built  about  1634  in 
Portsmouth  with  Rev.  Richard  Gibson  as  rector.  The 
present  diocese  of  New  Hampshire  has  for  its  bishop 
Right  Reverend  William  W.  Niles,  D.  D. 

As  early  as  1782  that  religious  body  known  by  the 
name  of  Shakers  made  their  appearance  in  New  Hamp- 
shire and  a  church-state  was  formed  under  the  leadership 
of  Elder  Job  Bishop.  For  more  than  a  century  they  have 
maintained  their  organization  in  the  state  and  have  made 
themselves  known  for  good  works  throughout  the  coun- 

iii 


STATE  BUILDERS 

try.  In  this  year  of  1903  they  have  two  societies  in  the 
state,  one  at  Canterbury  and  a  second  at  Enfield. 

It  was  in  Portsmouth  also  that  the  first  Universalist 
society  was  organized  and  this  in  1781.  There  are  in 
1903  a  total  of  twenty-eight  parishes  in  the  state,  em- 
bracing all  told  some  fifteen  hundred  families. 

The  people  of  Xew  Hampshire  who  hold  to  the  Uni- 
tarian faith,  while  not  large  in  number,  include  many 
among  its  most  representative  families.  Unitarian 
church  bodies  are  in  Manchester,  Concord,  Walpole,  An- 
dover,  Xashua,  Portsmouth,  Dover  and  elsewhere. 

There  are  in  Xew  Hampshire  twenty-five  churches  of 
the  Christian  or  Church  of  Christ  faith.  These  are  di- 
vided into  two  conferences.  These  are  the  Rockingham 
having  sixteen  churches,  and  the  Merrimack  with  nine 
organizations  and  both  conferences  hold  annual  sessions. 

The  state  of  X'ew  Hampshire  in  itself  constitutes  a 
diocese  of  the  Roman  Catholic  Church,  and  is  presided 
over  by  the  Right  Reverend  Denis  M.  Bradley,  D.  D., 
with  St.  Joseph's  at  Manchester  as  the  cathedral  church. 
There  are  in  the  diocese  more  than  one  hundred  thou- 
sand adherents  of  this  faith,  and  above  one  hundred 
ordained  members  of  the  priesthood.  The  churches  of 
the  diocese  are  scattered  throughout  the  length  and 
breadth  of  the  state  and  many  among  them  rank  with 
the  largest  and  finest  church  edifices  in  XTe\v  Hampshire. 

Belonging  to  the  diocese  is  the  college  of  St.  Anselms, 
and  various  high  schools  for  boys  and  for  girls.  Alt.  St. 
Alary's  is  a  widely  known  boarding-school  for  young 
women.  There  are  also  in  the  diocese  six  orphan  asy- 
lums, four  hospitals,  four  homes  for  aged  women  and 
five  for  working  girls.  There  are  nearly  four  hundred 
sisters  of  the  different  orders  and  some  seventy  brothers 
employed  in  fostering  and  extending  charitable,  religious 
and  educational  work  throughout  the  state. 


AGRICULTURE  OF  NEW  HAMPSHIRE 

BY  NAHUM  J.  BACHELDER 

The  state  of  New  Hampshire,  in  common  with  other 
New  England  states,  was  known  in  early  times  as  an 
agricultural  state,  the  cultivation  of  the  soil  and  the 
growing  and  feeding  of  crops  constituting  the  leading 
industry  of  her  people.  This  condition  of  affairs  existed 
from  the  time  of  the  earliest  white  settlements  until  the 
development  of  the  great  natural  water  powers  of  the 
state  for  manufacturing  purposes  during  the  second  half 
of  the  nineteenth  century.  This  in  turn  is  being  followed 
by  increased  interest  and  activity  in  agricultural  matters 
and  better  facilities  in  rural  sections  which  causes  us  to 
treat  the  subject  by  periods,  the  exact  duration  of  which 
cannot  be  definitely  fixed  owing  to  the  difference  in  the 
date  of  settlement  in  different  sections  of  the  state. 

ist.  The  period  from  the  settlement  by  white  people, 
which  marked  the  beginning  of  agriculture  in  the  state, 
to  the  subduing  of  the  forest  and  the  clearing  of  farming 
lands  which  may  be  known  as  the  period  of  construction. 

2nd..  The  period  from  the  ending  of  the  first  to  the 
time  of  the  marked  deterioration  of  the  soil  which  may 
be  known  as  the  period  of  natural  production. 

3rd.  The  period  from  the  ending  of  the  second  to  the 
present  time  which  may  be  known  as  the  period  of  read- 
justment. 

The  first  period  would  end  in  the  central  portion  of  the 
state  about  1800,  but  earlier  in  the  southern  and  later  in 


STATE  BUILDERS 

the  northern  sections.  The  second  period  would  extend 
from  the  close  of  the  first  to  about  1875,  an(l  tne  tmrd 
period  from  the  close  of  the  second.  This  outline  of  our 
purpose  will  make  clear  our  meaning  in  this  brief  consid- 
eration of  the  history  of  the  agriculture  of  New  Hamp- 
shire. 

PERIOD  OF   CONSTRUCTION. 

There  is  no  evidence  that  the  red  men  who  occupied 
the  territory  known  as  New  Hampshire  practised  agri- 
culture to  any  appreciable  extent.  They  obtained  their 
supply  of  food  and  clothing  by  hunting  and  fishing,  with 
an  occasional  plot  of  maize  or  Indian  corn  cultivated  in 
the  rudest  manner  by  the  faithful  squaw  whose  lord  and 
master  considered  it  beneath  his  dignity  to  engage  in  any- 
thing so  suggestive  of  labor.  These  feeble  attempts  to 
grow  corn  and  a  few  herbs  were  so  rare,  and  the  results 
so  meagre,  that  there  is  nothing  in  it  worthy  of  the  name 
of  agriculture,  and  the  advent  of  the  white  man  to  the 
hillsides  and  valleys  of  the  state  marked  the  beginning  of 
the  industry.  The  pioneers  who  settled  upon  the  farms 
of  New  Hampshire  were  a  sturdy  race  of  people  of  great 
physical  endurance  and  strong  mental  endowment.  They 
were  imbued  with  a  resolute  spirit  and  stimulated  to  ac- 
tivity by  the  one  desire  to  dig  from  the  soil  an  honest 
livelihood  for  themselves  and  their  families.  All  else  was 
subordinate  to  this,  and  they  entered  upon  their  task  with 
remarkable  fortitude  and  courage.  The  first  settlers  of 
the  farms  in  the  southern  part  of  the  state  were  descend- 
ants of  the  Puritan  families  who  came  to  this  country  for 
high  and  noble  purposes,  and  their  descendants  in  turn 
gradually  pushed  back  into  the  forest  and  cleared  the  land 
of  wood,  fenced  it,  and  made  farms.  The  journey  to  the 
place  selected  for  the  rough  cabin  home  was  frequently 
made  over  a  trail  marked  only  by  spotted  trees,  with  the 
family  and  all  the  household  effects  carried  on  horseback. 

114 


STATE  BUILDERS 

Perhaps  a  site  had  been  selected  and  a  rude  log  cabin  pre- 
viously erected  in  the  wilderness  which  formed  the  nu- 
cleus of  the  young  pioneer's  home.  Acre  after  acre  of 
the  virgin  forest  yielded  to  the  sturdy  blows  of  the 
pioneer's  axe,  the  felled  trees  were  reduced  to  ashes,  and 
the  land  sowed  to  rye,  the  crop  from  which  was  to  furnish 
sustenance  for  the  family. 

The  young  wife  cooked  the  meals,  raised  a  family  of 
children,  kept  the  cabin  in  order  and  the  wild  animals 
away,  while  her  husband  was  vigorously  at  work  clearing 
the  land  for  a  farm.  Later,  rocks  were  removed  and  the 
vast  network  of  stone  walls  that  gridiron  the  farms  of  the 
state  were  built.  As  the  children  grew  up  they  were  able 
to  render  much  assistance,  and  a  pioneer  farmer  with  half 
a  dozen  sturdy  boys  and  girls  helping  to  fell  and  burn 
trees,  dig  rocks  and  stumps,  build  walls  and  fences  and 
seed  the  land  to  grass  was  no  uncommon  sight.  As  the 
children  reached  manhood  and  \vomanhoood  they  pushed 
back  still  further  into  the  forest  and  cleared  farms  and 
built  cabins  for  their  homes.  In  the  course  of  time  the 
cabins  gave  way  to  frame  buildings  as  the  typical  two- 
story  houses  with  big  chimneys  in  the  centre  were  built, 
barns  were  erected,  and  cattle,  sheep,  hogs  and  horses  kept 
to  eat  the  fodder  which  began  to  grow  upon  the  cleared 
land  and  which  furnished  milk,  butter,  beef,  pork  and 
wool  for  the  food  and  raiment  of  the  family.  Beef  and 
pork  were  salted  in  the  fall  for  the  year's  supply,  wool 
was  carded,  spun  and  woven  upon  the  farm  and  made 
into  clothing  for  the  family,  the  products  of  the  farm 
yielding  the  entire  supply  in  both  these  directions.  Lit- 
tle or  nothing  was  bought  or  sold  and  there  was  no  desire 
to  do  either.  A  little  later  the  farmer  made  a  trip  to 
Portsmouth  in  the  fall  of  each  year  with  a  pair  of  horses 
in  a  pung,  requiring  from  one  to  two  weeks'  time,  carry- 
ing to  market  surplus  products  from  the  farm  and  bring- 
ing back  such  supplies  for  the  winter  as  his  disposition 


STATE  BUILDERS 

craved  and  his  improved  financial  condition  seemed  to 
allow.  As  the  farms  were  developed  roads  began  to  be 
improved.  Schoolhouses  were  erected  and  schools  es- 
tablished, churches  built  and  religious  services  held, 
attended  by  about  all  the  people. 

The  close  of  the  first  period  in  our  division  was  marked 
by  a  feeling  of  great  satisfaction  and  contentment  among 
the  people.  Their  labor  was  severe  both  in  the  house  and 
upon  the  land,  but  they  were  happy.  Their  wants  were 
few  and  easily  supplied.  The  soil  of  the  farm  was  fertile 
from  the  accumulations  of  centuries  and  the  ashes  from 
burning  the  heavy  growth  of  wood  and  timber,  yielded 
abundant  crops.  Fields  of  grain  were  grown  with  great 
success,  and  fruit  began  to  be  given  attention.  The  live 
stock  increased  in  number  and  value  annually.  The  large 
houses  were  filled  with  large  families  of  rugged,  healthy 
children.  The  people  had  but  little  knowledge  of  what 
was  transpiring  beyond  the  vision  from  their  own  farm, 
but  were  prosperous,  contented  and  happy  to  an  extent 
that  it  would  be  difficult  to  exceed  at  any  period  in  any 
part  of  the  world.  This  was  the  condition  of  New 
Hampshire  agriculture  at  the  close  of  the  first  period, 
varying  in  date  in  different  localities  but  existing  with 
remarkable  uniformity  in  all  sections  of  the  state. 

PERIOD    OF    NATURAL    PRODUCTION. 

The  period  of  greatest  activity  among  the  farmers  of 
New  Hampshire  and  the  period  of  greatest  supremacy  of 
agriculture  in  the  affairs  of  the  state  may  very  properly 
be  termed  the  period  of  natural  production  occurring 
during  the  first  half  or  more  of  the  nineteenth  century. 
The  soil  of  the  fields  and  pastures  had  been  recently 
cleared  of  its  forest  growth  and  was  filled  with  plant  food. 
This  was  true  even  of  the  hilltops,  where  live  stock  found 
excellent  grazing  and  where  farm  buildings,  long  since 

116 


STATE  BUILDERS 

gone  to  decay  leaving  hardly  a  trace  of  existence,  shel- 
tered large  families  of  contented  people,  the  soil  fur- 
nishing a  living  that  met  their  requirements.  As  the  pro- 
duction of  the  farm  increased  and  the  population  multi- 
plied, various  industries  were  established  to  provide 
things  that  increased  incomes  allowed,  and  to  make  things 
previously  made  in  the  home.  Dams  were  built  across 
the  streams  and  the  water  power  utilized  in  carding,  spin- 
ning and  weaving  for  surrounding  farmers,  work  which 
had  been  previously  done  by  hand  in  the  farmhouse. 
Tanneries  were  built  to  tan  the  hides  taken  from  the 
farmers'  animals,  and  shoemakers'  shops  built  to  make 
the  boots  and  shoes  for  the  farmers'  families,  which  had 
previously  been  done  by  the  itinerant  cobbler.  Sawmills 
were  erected  to  saw  the  lumber  used  in  building  and  re- 
pairing farm  buildings,  and  grist  mills  established  for 
grinding  the  farmers'  grain.  As  the  farmers  progressed 
there  was  a  demand  for  blacksmith  shops  in  which  to 
have  oxen  and  horses  shod,  clock  makers'  shops  in  which 
to  make  and  repair  clocks  and  watches,  and  carriage 
shops  in  which  to  build  and  repair  wagons,  all  of  which 
were  established,  affording  employment  for  part  of  the 
people  a  portion  of  the  time.  Farming  was  generally 
carried  on  to  some  extent  with  these  various  trades  which 
were  worked  in  the  less  busy  season  on  the  farm.  In 
those  days  the  minister  even  was  expected  to  till  the  soil 
and  often  was  the  leading  farmer  in  the  township.  Stores 
were  opened  to  supply  the  people  with  groceries,  rum  and 
tobacco  as  their  income  allowed.  In  many  instances  these 
shops,  mills  and  tanneries  were  scattered  over  the  town- 
ship upon  convenient  streams  or  located  near  the  farmers 
which  they  were  to  serve.  Generally  the  store  was 
located  near  one  or  more  of  these  industries  and, 
with  the  meeting-house  and  a  schoolhouse,  comprised 
the  country  village  of  three-quarters  of  a  century 
ago.  The  farms  continued  to  yield  abundant  crops 

117 


STATE  BUILDERS 

for  many  years  without  any  return  of  fertility,  for  nature 
had  been  filling  the  storehouse  with  plant  food  for  centu- 
ries, and  it  scarcely  occurred  to  any  one  that  the  soil 
would  not  continue  to  produce  bountiful  crops  for  an 
indefinite  period  without  any  restoration  of  fertility.  This 
great  production  of  surplus  crops  induced  the  building  of 
better   roads  or   "turnpikes,"   as  the  main   roads   were 
called,  in  order  to  send  such  surplus  products  to  a  market, 
and  in  1837  the  first  steam  railroad  was  built  in  the  state. 
These  means  of  communication  with  the  outside  world 
were  the  beginning  of  a  new  era  in  New  Hampshire  agri- 
culture.   The  farmers  were  stimulated  to  even  greater  ac- 
tivity, and  with  the  rude  implements  of  husbandry  and 
great   muscular   effort  coaxed   from   the   soil   abundant 
crops,  which  found  their  way  to  a  distant  market.  The  old 
time   exclusiveness   and    independence   of  the   town   by 
which  everything  needed  for  food,  raiment  or  shelter  was 
produced  within  the  town  limits,  gave  way  to  a  system  of 
broader  proportions,   and  the  little  industries  we  have 
named  beside  the  streams  and  in  the  centres  of  popula- 
tion supplying  the  wants  of  the  people  became  extinct. 
The  farmers'  boots,  clothes  and  wagons,  which  were  first 
made  upon  the  farm,  then  in  the  little  neighborhood  fac- 
tories, were  made  by  improved  machinery  and  skilled 
labor  in  distant  mills  and  factories.     Under  the  stimulus 
of  the  demand  for  farm  products  unknown  to  the  pioneer 
farmers,  the  pastures  were  covered  with  stock  and  the 
fields  used  for  growing  crops  with  no  regard  for  the  fer- 
tility removed,  and  in  many  instances  the  operation  be- 
came but  little  more  than  the  transfer  of  valuable  elements 
of  the  soil  into  cash  through  the  medium  of  farm  products 
and  labor.     The  money  thus  received  went  to  pay  for 
expensive  living  which  the  new  conditions  had  offered, 
to  improve  the  farm  buildings,  fences  and  stock,  or  was 
deposited  in  the  savings  bank  to  be  referred  to  in  later 
years  as  evidence  of  the  prosperity  of  agriculture  during 

118 


STATE  BUILDERS 

this  period.  Whatever  use  may  have  been  made  of  the 
money,  it  represented  a  portion  of  the  value  of  the  farm 
taken  from  the  soil,  and  labor  of  the  hardest  kind  in  secur- 
ing it. 

The  agriculture  of  New  Hampshire  suffered  greatly 
during  this  period  on  account  of  the  vast  number  of 
young  men  and  women  of  good  mental  endowment  and 
great  physical  strength,  both  qualities  being  inherited 
from  ancestors  of  the  most  exemplary  type,  that  went 
from  the  farm  homes  of  the  state  to  develop  the  West, 
or  to  occupy  responsible  positions  in  New  England  manu- 
facturing cities.  These  young  people  possessed  the  exact 
qualities  needed  in  their  adopted  fields  of  labor  and,  while 
they  contributed  much  to  the  welfare  of  the  localities  to 
which  they  went  and  in  many  instances  improved  their 
own  financial  condition  by  the  change,  the  rural  sections 
of  New  Hampshire  suffered  by  their  departure,  and  many 
good  New  Hampshire  farms  became  abandoned  thereby. 
When  the  aged  father  and  mother  who  had  made  a  suc- 
cess of  the  farm  and  surrounded  their  farm  home  with 
all  the  comforts  that  an  intense  love  for  it  could  suggest 
and  their  scanty  means  provide,  passed  away  the  sons  and 
daughters  were  established  in  homes  elsewhere  and  tne 
farm  became  abandoned  or  passed  into  the  hands  of 
people  with  only  temporary  interest  in  it  or  in  the  town 
in  which  they  had  located.  The  most  valuable  production 
of  New  Hampshire  farms  have  been  the  boys  and  girls 
sent  into  the  world  who  have  developed  into  men  and 
women  of  influence  and  fame  at  home  and  abroad.  Their 
success  has  been  made  possible  by  inherited  qualities  of 
heart,  mind  and  body  which  were  developed  through  early 
experiences  in  farm  life  and  the  high  moral  atmosphere 
of  the  Christian  farm  home.  The  New  Hampshire  farms 
are  entitled  to  the  credit  of  a  noble  production  in  this 
respect.  Another  serious  loss  was  experienced  by  the 
agricultural  interests  of  the  state  in  the  great  number  of 

119 


STATE  BUILDERS 

brave  boys  who  went  from  the  farms  to  fight  for  our 
country  in  the  Civil  War.  From  1861  to  1865  there 
was  a  constant  depletion  of  the  farmers'  ranks  to  recruit 
the  ranks  of  the  nation's  defenders.  This  influence 
reached  beyond  the  bare  number  that  went  to  the  front, 
for  in  many  cases  homes  were  made  desolate  and  the  inter- 
est of  those  remaining-  was  more  with  the  brave  boys 
that  were  on  the  field  of  battle  than  upon  the  fields  of  the 
farm  where,  in  a  half-hearted  way,  the  aged  father  and 
anxious  brothers  were  trying  to  grow  crops.  Farm  ma- 
chinery had  not  come  into  general  use  at  that  time,  and 
the  great  scarcity  of  farm  help,  coupled  with  the  sorrow 
and  despondency  in  the  farmer's  family,  placed  a  serious 
obstacle  in  the  farmer's  path  notwithstanding  the  high 
prices  that  artificially  prevailed.  But  little  thought  was 
given  to  sustaining  the  fertility  of  the  soil,  and  the  crops 
produced  were  sent  to  market  with  seemingly  rich 
returns. 

Recognizing  the  necessity  for  the  diffusion  of  knowledge 
upon  the  science  of  agriculture,  which  recognition  was  in 
part  based  upon  the  fact  that  the  soil  by  continual  crop- 
ping was  becoming  exhausted  of  plant  food,  and  the  fur- 
ther fact  that  a  nation's  prosperity  depended  in  an  eminent 
degree  upon  a  prosperous  agriculture  within  its  limits, 
the  Congress  of  the  United  States  in  1862  provided  for 
the  establishment  of  Colleges  of  Agriculture  and  Me- 
chanic Arts  in  the  several  states,  said  institutions  to  be 
under  the  direction  of  the  respective  states.  The  legis- 
lature of  New  Hampshire  provided  for  the  establish- 
ment of  the  New  Hampshire  institution  under  this  act 
at  Hanover  in  connection  with  Dartmouth  College,  where 
it  remained  with  varying  degrees  of  success  until,  through 
the  operation  of  a  bequest  made  by  Benjamin  Thompson 
of  Durham,  the  college  was  removed  from  Hanover  and 
established  at  Durham  in  1891.  In  connection  with  the 
experiment  station  established  by  the  government  by  act 


STATE  BUILDERS 

of  congress  in  1887,  the  institution  at  Durham  will  come 
into  the  possession  of  the  Thompson  legacy  in  1910, 
when  an  annual  income  of  about  $100,000  a  year  will 
be  received.  This  will  make  it  possible  to  provide  such 
instruction  in  agriculture  and  mechanic  arts  as  will  be 
of  great  benefit  in  promoting  the  agricultural  and  indus- 
trial interests  of  the  state.  In  1870  the  legislature  of 
New  Hampshire  established  a  State  Board  of  Agricul- 
ture, composed  of  one  citizen  of  each  county,  appointed 
by  the  Governor,  the  duty  of  which  is  to  promote  the 
interests  of  the  various  branches  of  agriculture  by  the 
diffusion  of  information  and  arousing  an  interest  among 
the  people  therein.  This  is  attempted  through  the  hold- 
ing of  institutes  for  public  discussion,  the  issuing  of 
reports,  and  the  encouragement  of  dairy,  horticultural 
and  other  societies  and  exhibitions. 

In  1873  the  Order  known  as  the  Grange  of  the  Patrons 
of  Husbandry  was  established  in  the  state  for  promoting 
the  interests  of  agriculture  in  general.  The  first  organiza- 
tion was  made  at  Exeter,  August  19,  1873,  known  as  Gil- 
man  Grange,  No.  I,  with  eighteen  charter  members.  The 
State  Grange  was  organized  at  Manchester,  December 
23,  1873,  with  fifteen  subordinate  Granges  represented. 
The  Grange  seemed  to  come  into  existence  at  a  very 
opportune  time,  for  the  period  immediately  following 
the  close  of  the  Civil  War  was  as  discouraging  for  farm- 
ers as  any  in  the  history  of  the  state.  The  farm  lands, 
both  cultivated  land  and  permanent  pasture,  showed 
marked  appearance  of  deterioration  in  fertility,  from  a 
long  term  of  exhausted  cropping,  which  was  about  the 
beginning  of  the  recognition  by  the  farmers  of  the  fact 
that  such  a  course  must  result  in  soil  deterioration.  .  The 
inflated  prices  prevailing  during  the  Civil  War  upon  all 
property  began  to  disappear,  and  the  farmer  who  wanted 
to  sell  his  farm  found  that  not  only  was  the  price  of  his 
surplus  farm  products  sent  to  market  reduced  about  fifty 

121 


STATE  BUILDERS 

per  cent,  but  the  value  of  his  fafm  also  had  begun  to  be 
depreciated.  The  rapid  development  of  manufacturing 
had  made  such  demand  for  labor,  and  so  advanced  the 
price  of  it,  that  it  was  beyond  profitable  employment  upon 
the  farm  under  methods  previously  followed  in  its  man- 
agement. The  development  of  the  various  industrial, 
commercial  and  transportation  interests  of  the  state  had 
been  so  great  that  the  positions  occupied  by  the  farmers 
a  generation  earlier  as  leaders  in  town  and  state  affairs 
had  been  largely  assumed  by  the  representatives  of  other 
industries.  These  various  reasons  made  the  advent  of 
the  Grange  and  other  agencies  for  promoting  the  inter- 
ests of  agriculture  of  great  and  timely  importance.  The 
agricultural  interests  of  New  Hampshire  reached  their 
greatest  supremacy  about  1850,  although  not  their  great- 
est magnitude  until  later.  The  total  value  of  farm  prop- 
erty reached  the  highest  point  in  1870,  as  the  following 
table  from  the  United  States  Census  will  show.  Number 
i  shows  acres  in  farms;  2,  average  size  of  farms;  3,  total 


value 

of  farm  property;  4,  total  value  of  lands,  improve- 

ments  and  buildings. 

i 

2 

3 

4 

1900 

3,609,864 

I23.I 

$85,842,096 

$70,124,360 

1890 

....3,459,018 

II8.7 

80,207,575 

66,162,600 

1880 

.  .  .  .3,721,173 

II5.6 

88,715,693 

75,834,389 

1870 

....3,605,994 

I2I.7 

99,295,801 

80,589,313 

1860 

....3,744,625 

122.8 

83,297,400 

69,689,761 

1850 

3,392,414 

116.1 

66,432,023 

55,245,997 

This  table  shows  that  the  intrinsic  value  (the  gold 
value)  of  farm  property  was  greater  in  1870,  though  the 
deterioration  since  has  not  been  marked. 


PERIOD   OF   RE-ADJUSTMENT. 

The  present  may  properly  be  called  the  period  of  re- 
adjustment in  the  agriculture  of  New  Hampshire.     The 


122 


STATE  BUILDERS 

condition  of  the  industry  during  the  two  former  periods 
was  in  keeping  with  surrounding  conditions  and  adapted 
to  the  necessities  of  the  farmers  of  the  respective  periods 
as  we  have  already  pointed  out.  The  new  conditions 
called  for  more  expensive  living,  including  luxuries  in  the 
farmer's  home  unknown  a  generation  before,  driving 
horses  with  style  and  speed  and  carriages  of  the  latest  and 
most  fashionable  design  in  the  place  of  the  farm  horse 
and  thoroughbrace  wagon,  broadcloth  in  the  place  of 
"homespun"  and  dainty  fabrics  of  foreign  manufacture 
in  place  of  home-made  goods  in  the  wearing  apparel 
of  the  farmer  and  his  family.  Daily  papers  and  the  stand- 
ard magazines  were  found  upon  the  farmers'  tables  in 
place  of  the  one  publication  which  brought  him  his  news 
and  politics  weekly.  The  society  formerly  limited  to  the 
farmer's  turn  in  boarding  the  district  school  teacher  his 
proportion  of  the  term  measured  by  the  number  of  schol- 
ars sent  to  school,  the  semi-annual  visits  of  the  seamstress 
to  do  the  family  sewing,  with  an  occasional  apple-paring 
bee,  husking  or  surprise  party,  had  been  superseded  by 
participation  in  the  leading  society  events  of  the  town  and 
state.  The  changes  had  been  made  necessary  by  similar 
changes  in  the  mode  of  living  adopted  by  people  engaged 
in  other  industries  which  had  come  into  existence  in  the 
natural  course  of  the  development  of  the  country  and  the 
prosperity  of  which  had  allowed.  In  the  re-adjustment  of 
agriculture  to  meet  existing  conditions  at  home  and 
abroad  the  New  Hampshire  farmer  has  made  available 
the  use  of  improved  machinery,  the  teachings  of  advanced 
agricultural  science,  intelligent  forestry,  demands  of  local 
markets,  the  improved  means  of  communication  and 
transportation,  the  advantages  offered  by  the  development 
of  the  summer  boarding  and  summer  home  industries  and 
the  educational  and  social  influence  of  the  farmers'  or- 
ganization known  as  the  Grange. 

The  use  of  farm  machinery  is  one  of  the  most  potent 

I23 


STATE  BUILDERS 

agents  in  the  re-adjustment  process.  In  fact,  it  may  be 
stated  with  certainty  that  land  not  suited  to  the  use  of 
machinery  can  no  longer  be  profitably  cultivated  and 
should  be  devoted  to  some  other  purpose  than  the  grow- 
ing of  cultivated  crops.  The  first  improved  machinery 
to  make  its  appearance  was  the  mowing  machine  by  which 
the  farmer  rides  over  his  field  and  with  a  pair  of  horses 
cuts  as  much  grass  without  fatigue  as  five  rugged  men 
could  cut  with  the  hand  scythe  and  an  additional  man  to 
spread  the  swathe.  The  rake,  tedder  and  fork  operated 
by  horse  power  followed  soon,  completing  the  machinery 
for  hay  harvesting.  The  reaper  and  self-binder  were  in- 
troduced about  the  same  time,  and  the  corn  harvesting 
machine  a  little  later.  For  the  pulverization  and  cultivation 
of  the  soil  we  have  the  sulky  plough,  various  improved 
harrows,  cultivators  and  weeders  that  move  immense 
quantities  of  soil  in  a  brief  time,  making  the  wooden 
plough  and  spike  tooth  harrow  of  a  couple  generations 
ago  seem  absurd  for  this  purpose.  Seed  sowers  have 
come  into  use  by  which  one  man  will  sow  or  plant  more 
seed  than  ten  men  can  sow  or  plant  by  hand  and  do  it 
infinitely  better.  When  we  add  to  these  dairy  utensils  by 
which  the  farmer  separates  the  fat  from  the  milk  while 
the  men  are  milking,  having  the  cream  ready  to  be  sent 
to  the  butter  factory,  and  the  skim  milk  ready  for  feeding 
the  calves  and  pigs  immediately,  or  if  desired,  the  use  of 
machines  by  which  the  butter  can  be  separated  from  the 
milk  direct  and  served  upon  the  breakfast  table  the  same 
morning,  we  have  some  idea  of  the  extent  to  which  ma- 
chinery enters  into  the  affairs  of  re-adjusted  agriculture. 
The  silo  which  has  come  into  use  within  a  few  years  for 
the  storage  of  green  crops  is  quite  properly  termed  a  ma- 
chine and  one  which  the  up-to-date  farmer  cannot  afford 
to  be  without  whatever  the  character  of  his  soil  or  the 
kind  of  stock  fed  upon  his  farm. 

Next  in  importance  to  improved  farm  machinery  in  the 

124 


STATE  BUILDERS 

re-adjustment  of  New  Hampshire  agriculture  comes  the 
application  of  the  teachings  of  agricultural  science  as 
evolved  from  experiments  by  scientists  and  students  of 
soils  and  of  animal  and  plant  growth.  This  includes  the 
manipulation  of  the  soil  by  machinery  in  such  manner  as 
to  make  available  plant  food  already  existing  in  the  soil 
in  unavailable  form,  the  growing  of  crops  that  have  the 
power  of  extracting  valuable  plant  food  from  the  subsoil 
and  from  the  atmosphere  depositing  it  in  the  soil  in  con- 
dition to  be  available  by  growing  plants,  the  rotation  of 
crops  by  which  certain  crops  that  draw  nourishment  from 
different  depths  of  soil  succeed  each  other  in  intelligent 
and  well-considered  rotation,  the  purchase  of  such  ele- 
ments of  fertility  as  are  needed  to  replace  those  carried 
away  in  crops  in  the  most  economical  form  and  from  the 
cheapest  sources,  the  fertilizing  value  of  the  different 
crops  when  fed  to  animals  and  the  manure  applied  to  the 
soil  from  which  the  crop  was  taken,  the  ability  to  success- 
fully combat  the  fungus  diseases  and  insect  pests  that 
attack  all  kinds  of  plants  and  to  successfully  treat  the 
diseases  to  which  farm  animals  are  subject,  to  harvest  and 
market  crops  in  the  most  economical  manner  and  in  the 
most  profitable  form.  These  are  some  of  the  things  that 
the  successful  farmer  of  to-day  must  know  and  practise 
and  which  are  included  under  the  broad  name  of  agricul- 
tural science.  This  science  is  being  promoted  during  the 
entire  period  of  re-adjustment  by  the  agricultural  press, 
the  agricultural  college  and  experiment  station,  farmers' 
institutes  and  the  Grange. 

The  practice  of  intelligent  forestry  which  includes  the 
planting  of  seed  and  the  setting  of  trees,  the  proper  thin- 
ning and  trimming  of  the  growth,  the  harvesting  of  the 
crop  when  ripe,  leaving  the  young  growth,  and  the  pro- 
tection of  trees  from  forest  fires,  are  matters  of  great  im- 
portance in  the  production  of  one  of  our  most  valuable 
crops.  When  we  consider  the  fact  that  of  the  5,763,200 

125 


STATE  BUILDERS 

acres  of  territory  comprised  within  the  limits  of  the  state 
of  New  Hampshire,  3,455,088  acres  are  unimproved  land, 
mostly  forests,  the  value  of  the  annual  product  of  which 
exceeds  $12,000,000,  giving  employment  in  round  num- 
bers to  10,000  people  and  paying  in  wages  over  $3,000,- 
ooo  annually,  we  get  some  conception  of  the  extent  to 
which  forestry  enters  into  New  Hampshire  agriculture. 
Cutting  and  marketing  forest  products  has  been  an  im- 
portant industry  upon  New  Hampshire  farms  during  this 
period  and  the  money  received  therefor  has  been  an  im- 
portant factor  in  enabling  many  farmers  to  supply  them- 
selves and  families  with  the  comforts  and  luxuries  with 
which  the  farm  homes  of  the  state  universally  abound. 
Vast  areas  of  land  located  upon  the  tops  of  hills  and  on 
the  sides  of  mountains  remote  from  railroad,  which  under 
early  conditions  were  profitably  cultivated  and  furnished 
homes  for  large  families  and  food  and  raiment  to  meet 
their  needs,  are  now  wisely  devoted  to  the  growth  of 
wood  and  timber  and  in  many  instances  paying  the  owner 
a  higher  rate  of  interest  upon  the  money  invested  than 
could  be  obtained  elsewhere.  New  uses  for  wood  and 
timber  are  yearly  found,  and  the  early  marketing  of  the 
crop  which  many  of  those  uses  allow,  renders  the  grow- 
ing of  wood  and  timber  under  favorable  conditions  one 
of  the  most  profitable  industries  of  New  Hampshire 
farms,  objectionable  only  to  the  person  who  is  unwilling 
to  wait  twenty-five  or  thirty  years  for  the  production  of  a 
crop.  It  makes  a  long  term  investment,  but  one  in  which 
the  principal  and  interest  are  sure  when  placed  with  good 
judgment  and  cared  for  in  an  intelligent  manner. 

The  improved  means  of  communication  and  transpor- 
tation eliminating  the  barriers  between  country  and  city 
life  are  having  marked  effect  in  the  great  re-adjustment 
process.  The  establishment  of  rural  mail  delivery,  the 
rural  telephone,  and  the  building  of  trolley  lines  from 
populous  centres  into  rural  districts,  carrying  the  farmers 

126 


STATE  BUILDERS 

and  the  farmer's  produce  to  town  and  carrying  the  city 
residents  to  the  farmer's  home  for  rest,  recreation  and 
pleasure,  for  which  they  are  willing  to  pay  a  liberal  sum, 
is  opening  up  the  financial  and  social  advantages  of  the 
farm  as  could  be  done  in  no  other  way.  It  is  relieving 
farm  life  of  its  isolation,  inducing  the  farmer  to  eliminate 
some  of  the  drudgery  by  adopting  more  business  and  sys- 
tematic methods,  and  is  affording  social  culture  in  the 
farmer's  home,  the  lack  of  which  caused  the  young  people 
to  leave  the  farm  as  the  desire  for  social  enjoyment  de- 
veloped in  the  process  of  evolution  from  pionee.r  to  twen- 
tieth century  life.  The  telephone  enables  the  family  to 
keep  in  touch  with  the  people  of  the  town  and  enables  the 
farmer  to  keep  informed  in  regard  to  any  sudden  change 
in  the  market  or  probable  change  in  the  weather.  The 
rural  mail  delivery  brings  the  daily  paper,  brings  and  car- 
ries the  business,  social  and  literary  correspondence  and 
leads  the  farmer  to  consider  himself  in  touch  with  the 
affairs  of  the  town,  state  and  nation,  thereby  increasing 
his  feeling  of  responsibility  and  promoting  a  desire  to 
act  the  part  of  a  good  citizen.  The  trolley  line  takes  the 
farmer  and  his  family  to  town  after  a  busy  day  upon  the 
farm,  to  attend  meetings  of  various  kinds,  the  theatre,  or 
to  do  shopping  and  returns  them  to  their  home  for  a  mere 
trifle  in  the  way  of  fare.  The  sections  of  the  state  reached 
by  these  utilities  are  assuming  an  unprecedented  appear- 
ance of  thrift  and  prosperity,  and  as  other  sections  are 
included  within  the  reach  of  these  agencies  the  re-adjust- 
ment will  be  still  further  aided  and  promoted. 

The  growth  of  manufacturing  and  the  consequent  de- 
velopment of  cities  and  villages  composed  of  people  en- 
gaged in  that  industry,  or  to  serve  the  needs  of  those  so 
engaged,  has  created  local  markets  of  great  value  to  agri- 
culture and  to  supply  these  has  been  the  aim  of  a  large 
number  of  prosperous  farmers.  The  production  of  per- 
ishable products  that  must  be  delivered  in  fresh  condition 

127 


STATE  BUILDERS 

has  engrossed  the  leading  attention  of  such  farmers  and 
contributed  to  the  development  of  intensive  system  of 
farming  by  which  one  acre  produces  a  crop  of  greater 
cash  value  than  ten  acres  under  the  system  of  general 
farming  once  practised  here.  About  fifty  creameries  have 
been  established  within  this  period,  manufacturing  over 
$2,000,000  worth  of  butter  annually,  in  addition  to  which 
twenty  carloads  of  milk  are  daily  sent  to  the  Boston  mar- 
ket from  the  New  Hampshire  farms.  The  growing  of 
apples  has  become  a  leading  state  industry,  increasing 
from  an  insignificant  matter  thirty  years  ago  to  an  indus- 
try of  great  proportions,  furnishing  the  best  of  fruit  for 
the  apple  markets  of  the  world.  The  garden,  fruit,  dairy 
and  poultry  products  of  the  state  have  more  than  taken 
the  place  of  the  decline  in  the  production  of  wheat,  oats 
and  other  grain  crops  and  render  the  present  annual  value 
of  the  farm  productions  of  the  state  the  greatest  in  its 
history. 

The  development  of  the  summer  boarding  and  summer 
home  interests  has  had  marked  effect  in  the  movement 
under  consideration.  In  1889  the  New  Hampshire  legis- 
lature made  provision  for  calling  attention  to  the  advan- 
tages offered  by  the  abandoned  farms  of  the  state  for 
people  seeking  country  places,  either  for  health,  pleasure 
or  farming  purposes.  This  was  the  beginning  of  a  sys- 
tematic movement  for  attracting  people  to  the  rural  towns 
of  the  state.  The  official  in  charge  of  the  work  well  said, 
and  his  statements  are  true  to-day,  that  no*  more  fertile 
soil  exists  anywhere.  The  rich,  alluvial  soil  o>f  the  Con- 
necticut Valley,  producing  magnificent  crops  of  grass, 
grain  and  tobacco;  the  fertile  intervale  farms  along  the 
Merrimac  River  and  its  tributaries;  the  rich  soil  of  the 
once  heavily  wooded  hillsides  and  valleys  in  all  sections 
of  the  state,  easily  cultivated  and  retentive  of  moisture 
and  fertility  in  such  a  degree  as  to  command  wonder  and 
admiration;  the  apple  orchards  producing  fruit  that 

128 


STATE  BUILDERS 

has  gained  a  world-wide  reputation  for  its  superior  flavor 
and  keeping  qualities;  the  private  dairies  and  creameries, 
producing  butter  that  was  awarded  the  highest  prize  at 
the  "World's  Fair  in  Chicago,  both  on  account  of  the  skill 
of  our  people  in  its  manufacture  and  the  feed,  water  and 
atmosphere  that  produced  milk  of  exceptional  purity  and 
gave  the  most  delicate  aroma  to  the  butter;  the  markets 
for  milk  in  the  half  hundred  thrifty  manufacturing  cities 
and  villages,  in  the  fifty  creameries,  and  the  milk  trains 
to  Boston  daily;  the  summer  hotels  and  boarding  houses, 
numbering  about  2,500,  with  a  capacity  for  60,000  people, 
accommodating"  during  the  summer  season  three  times 
this  number  of  different  people,  leaving  $8,000,000  an- 
nually in  our  state;  the  healthful  climate  which  attracts 
these  people  and  the  charming  scenery  which  interests 
them;  the  half  thousand  lakes  and  ponds  of  sparkling 
purity  and  seductive  tranquility,  affording  rare  enjoy- 
ment for  sportsmen;  the  half  hundred  grand  mountains 
with  their  densely  wooded  ravines  in  which  flow  a  thou- 
sand sparkling  streams;  the  exceptional  railroad  facilities 
by  which  the  people  of  the  state  are  favored  with  railroad 
service  which  in  low  rates,  freight  and  passenger  service 
and  train  connections  is  unexcelled  in  any  section  of  the 
country  affording  no  greater  volume  of  business  to  its  rail- 
road corporations;  the  low  tax  rate  made  possible  by  the 
economy  of  the  state  in  its  expenditures  and  the  annual 
reduction  of  the  state  debt,  a  similar  course  entirely  liqui- 
dating the  debt  in  the  immediate  future  and  even  now 
enabling  the  state  tax  to  be  more  than  paid  by  taxes 
assessed  upon  corporations,  the  individual  taxes  being 
no  more  than  is  needed  for  local  expenditures  which  are 
within  the  power  of  towns  to  regulate;  and  above  all,  the 
religious,  educational  and  social  opportunities  where 
thrifty  churches,  unexcelled  schools,  and  social  clubs  and 
organizations  beyond  number,  all  affording  advantages 
peculiar  to  New  Hampshire  and  rendering  the  rural  sec- 

129 


STATE  BUILDERS 

tion  of  the  state  especially  desirable  for  the  home  seeker, 
either  for  rest,  recreation  or  to  engage  in  the  healthful 
occupation  of  tilling  the  soil.  These  were  some  of  the 
reasons  urged  for  locating  in  New  Hampshire,  and  so 
forcibly  were  they  presented  that  over  three  hundred 
farms  were  reoccupied  during  the  first  year.  The  efforts 
have  been  continued  from  year  to  year,  until  the  number 
of  vacant  farms  has  been  greatly  reduced.  The  latest 
figures  compiled  show  eight  hundred  and  forty-nine 
farms  occupied  as  summer  homes  upon  which  more  than 
$2,000,000  has  been  invested  by  the  recent  purchasers  in 
permanent  improvements.  This  movement  is  destined 
to  extend  in  the  future. 

The  observance  of  Old  Home  Week  has  been  a  potent 
factor  in  arousing  interest  in  the  old  homesteads  of  New 
Hampshire.  Many  an  instance  could  be  quoted  of  a  son 
of  the  town,  or  a  former  resident,  who,  returning  for  the 
reunion  day,  is  surprised  at  the  beauty  of  the  spots  he 
revisits  and  the  flood  of  memories  they  recall.  Thinking 
the  matter  over,  he  concludes  that  after  all  there  is  no 
better  place  in  the  world  to  live  than  in  New  Hampshire, 
and  that  the  best  part  of  New  Hampshire  is  his  old  town. 
So  he  buys  the  old  place  of  his  family,  where  his  father 
and  his  grandfather,  and  often  times,  generations  back  of 
them,  lived  and  worked  and  died.  He  repairs  and  paints 
and  enlarges  the  old  buildings  and  builds  new  ones.  He 
enriches  the  impoverished  soil  and  farms  the  land  in 
accordance  with  modern  scientific  methods.  He  plants 
shade  trees  and  fruit  trees  and  illustrates  practical  for- 
estry to  a  greater  or  less  extent.  Perhaps  he  grows  small 
fruits;  perhaps  he  makes  premium  butter;  perhaps  he 
raises  fast  horses;  perhaps  he  paints  pictures  or  models 
statues  or  writes  books. 

The  late  Austin  Corbin  came  back  to  the  country 
where  he  was  born,  bought  farm  after  farm  and  estab- 
lished the  Blue  Mountain  Forest  Park  an  object  of 

130 


STATE  BUILDERS 

interest  and  instruction  to  visitors  from  all  parts  of  the 
globe.  Within  its  wire  fences  are  enclosed  25,000  acres 
of  field  and  forest,  and  there  is  additional  land  outside. 
To  obtain  control  of  this  property  required  the  transfer 
of  375  land  titles,  the  price  paid  ranging  from  $i  to  $25 
an  acre.  Altogether  the  cost  of  the  park  has  been  close 
upon  a  million  dollars;  the  expense  of  its  maintenance, 
too,  is  considerable.  The  superintendent  of  the  estate  has 
a  staff  of  twenty-five  keepers — fifty  at  certain  seasons — 
and  the  entire  twenty-seven  miles  of  fence  is  patrolled 
twice  a  week.  Fourteen  wild  boar,  imported  from  the 
Black  Forest  of  Germany  at  a  cost  of  $1,000,  have  in- 
creased and  multiplied  with  such  rapidity  that  no  one 
knows  how  many  herds  there  are  in  the  park.  The 
twenty-five  head  of  buffalo  have  grown  to  one  hundred; 
the  fourteen  moose,  to  another  hundred;  a  herd  of  one 
hundred  and  forty  elk,  to  a  thousand;  and  one  hundred 
and  twenty-four  deer,  to  more  than  twelve  hundred. 

A  sketch  of  the  development  of  agriculture  in  New 
Hampshire  and  of  the  agencies  contributing  to  such  de- 
velopment would  be  deficient  without  prominent  reference 
to  the  work  of  the  Grange.  Formed  upon  the  principle 
of  fraternity  and  aiming  to  advance  the  interests  of  hus- 
bandry by  increasing  the  intelligence  of  those  engaged 
therein,  the  Grange  appeals  with  force  to  people  inter- 
ested in  the  welfare  of  the  state  through  the  development 
of  its  fundamental  industry.  Upon  the  introduction  of 
the  organization  in  the  state  in  1873  it  met  with  oppo- 
sition, but  its  affairs  have  been  directed  with  such  con- 
servatisrh  and  with  so  little  taint  of  partisan  politics  as  to 
dispel  all  antagonism  and  allow  it  to  take  its  place  as  an 
important  educational  agency  and  a  valiant  champion 
of  the  interests  of  rural  New  Hampshire.  Its  grand  work 
in  affording  a  means  of  social  enjoyment,  mental  devel- 
opment and  moral  reform  among  the  rural  people  of  New 


STATE  BUILDERS 

Hampshire,  together  with  the  dissemination  of  practical 
information  in  agricultural  matters,  entitle  the  Grange 
to  a  high  and  honorable  position  among  the  state  build- 
ers. The  influence  of  the  organization  in  New  Hamp- 
shire through  its  25,000  members  and  7,000  meetings 
held  annually  in  promoting  a  more  progressive  agricul- 
ture and  more  intelligent  citizenship,  is  leaving  a  mark 
upon  the  affairs  of  the  state  that  makes  unnecessary  any 
other  record  of  its  work  and  renders  null  and  void  any 
attempt  to  magnify  its  mission.  The  future  historian 
of  New  Hampshire  will  give  the  Grange  much  credit  for 
its  broad  influence  in  promoting  various  interests  of  im- 
portance to  the  welfare  of  the  state  as  well  as  to  the 
welfare  of  agriculture. 

In  concluding  this  epitome  of  the  agriculture  of  New 
Hampshire  we  cannot  refrain  from  expressing  our  belief 
that  the  rural  sections  of  the  state  offer  greater  induce- 
ments to  those  people  looking  for  an  opportunity  to 
establish  a  home  than  can  be  found  elsewhere,  reasons 
for  which  we  have  already  stated.  People  who  desire  to 
gain  a  livelihood  by  cultivation  of  the  soil  will  also  find 
upon  the  farms  of  New  Hampshire  an  opportunity  to 
cultivate  much  or  little,  intensively  or  extensively,  with 
as  profitable  returns  as  similar  effort  will  yield  elsewhere 
and  amid  far  greater  advantages  than  in  many  sections 
of  our  country.  The  more  general  this  opinion,  the  better 
will  it  be  for  those  people  at  present  located  among  our 
hills,  for  those  looking  for  a  place  in  which  to  locate  and 
for  the  state  itself.  There  should  be  no  hesitancy  or 
delay  in  promulgating  the  fact,  at  home  and  abroad,  that 
the  re-adjustment  process  in  the  agriculture  of  New 
Hampshire  is  well  under  way  and  already  showing  good 
results.  The  diversified  resources  of  New  Hampshire  and 
their  expected  development  will  make  it  improbable  that 
agriculture  will  ever  again  become  the  leading  industry 

132 


STATE  BUILDERS 

of  the  state,  but  with  wise  action  on  the  part  of  those  in 
position  to  aid  it,  stimulated  by  a  just  appreciation  of  its 
possibilities  and  of  its  relative  importance  as  a  state  in- 
dustry upon  the  state's  prosperity,  we  expect  to'  see  prog- 
ress made  in  this  direction  in  the  near  future  far  in  excess 
of  any  in  the  past  to  which  we  have  referred. 


THE    BENCH   AND    BAR    OF   NEW 
HAMPSHIRE 

BY  HOSEA  W.  PARKER 

To  give  a  full  and  accurate  history  of  the  Bench  and 
Bar  of  New  Hampshire  and  their  influence  upon  the 
institutions  of  the  state  from  the  earliest  time  to  the  pres- 
ent, would  require  more  space  than  is  allotted  to>  this  arti- 
cle. It  must,  therefore,  be  .understood  that  only  the 
salient  points  of  the  subject  will  be  considered. 

Prior  to  the  adoption  of  the  State  Constitution  in  1783, 
the  law  was  not  administered  with  that  degree  of  learn- 
ing and  accuracy  which  has  characterized  the  profession 
since  that  time.  There  were  some  able  lawyers  and  judges 
during  the  time  of  the  provincial  government.  Ninety 
years  elapsed  from  the  time  of  the  appointment  of  Richard 
Martyn  as  the  first  chief  justice  of  the  Supreme  Court 
of  Judicature  in  1693  to  the  time  the  constitution  was 
adopted,  and  during  this  period  there  were  about  forty 
members  of  the  Court.  Many  of  these  judges  never 
received  any  legal  education,  but  received  their  appoint- 
ment on  account  of  their  influence  in  the  community  and 
because  they  were  men  of  affairs.  Their  loyalty  to  the 
mother  country  was  also  an  important  factor  that  entered 
into  their  tenure  of  office,  and  largely  controlled  their 
official  life  and  character.  There  were,  however,  notable 
exceptions,  and  among  them  may  be  mentioned  Meshech 
Weare,  who  was  an  educated  man,  a  graduate  of  Harvard 
college,  and  for  thirty-five  years  a  judge  of  the  Court. 


STATE  BUILDERS 

He  administered  the  law  in  a  manner  that  reflected  great 
credit  upon  himself,  and  his  administration  gave  universal 
satisfaction.  He  was  a  judge  at  a  period  in  the  history  of 
the  province  when  a  sentiment  for  liberty  and  indepen- 
dence moved  the  hearts  and  minds  of  the  people,-  and 
when  revolution  was  the  war  cry.  He  was  in  full  sym- 
pathy with  the  American  cause,  and  a  patriot  who  had  the 
confidence  of  the  people.  There  was  also  Matthew  Thorn- 
ton, who  was  appointed  a  judge  in  17/6,  and  held  that 
position  for  six  years.  He  was  a  man  of  uncommon  in- 
telligence, and  took  a  deep  interest  in  the  revolutionary 
movement  and  was  in  full  accord  with  the  people  who 
were  then  struggling  for  independence,  and  active  in  pro- 
moting their  cause.  He  was  a  delegate  to  the  Continental 
Congress,  and  a  signer  of  the  Declaration  of  Independ- 
ence; a  man  of  great  influence  in  his  day,  who  labored 
with  much  zeal  to  throw  off  the  yoke  of  oppression  and 
establish  a  republican  form  of  government.  He  took  an 
active  part  in  preparing  a  constitution  for  the  new  state 
government,  was  honest  and  upright  in  his  judicial 
career,  and  died  honored  and  respected  by  the  entire  com- 
munity. 

There  were  many  men  of  marked  character  connected 
with  the  Bench  and  Bar  during  this  period,  but  many  of 
them  were  not  learned  in  the  law.  Samuel  Livermore 
was  a  man  of  this  character.  His  name  is  intimately 
connected  with  Xew  Hampshire  history.  He  was  chief 
justice  of  the  Supreme  Court  for  eight  years,  and  prac- 
tised his  profession  in  Portsmouth,  Londonderry  and 
Holderness,  X.  H.  Notwithstanding  the  fact  that  Liver- 
more  was  never  regarded  as  a  learned  lawyer,  Dartmouth 
College  conferred  the  degree  of  LL.  D.  upon  him  in  1792. 
He  was  appointed  by  the  General  Court  to  the  Continen- 
tal Congress  to  support  and  enforce  the  claim  of  Xew 
Hampshire  to  the  so-called  X'ew  Hampshire  Grants 
during  that  exciting  controversy.  He  was  not  only  a 


STATE  BUILDERS 

Judge  and  a  lawyer,  but  he  was  a  statesman,  and  was  a 
member  of  both  branches  of  Congress  and  one  who 
exerted  the  widest  influence  in  his  day  in  state  and  nation. 
He  had  great  will  power,  and  was  a  man  of  excellent 
judgment,  which  enabled  him  to  perform  his  judicial 
duties  without  much  regard  to  precedents  or  text  books. 
The  lawyers  of  his  time  criticized  him,  but  this  had  little 
effect  upon  his  conduct  as  a  judge,  and  he  decided  cases 
according  to  his  own  sense  of  justice.  He  had  a  long 
and  eventful  career. 

Josiah  Bartlett  was  another  judge  of  marked  ability 
and  prominence.  He  was  appointed  a  judge  in  1/92, 
and  held  the  court  with  distinguished  ability.  Not  only 
this,  but  he  was  a  statesman  and  an  earnest  patriot.  He 
took  an  active  part  in  all  the  measures  that  led  up  to  the 
War  of  the  Revolution.  He  was  a  delegate  to  the  Con- 
tinental Congress  and  one  of  the  signers  of  the  Declara- 
tion of  Independence  from  New  Hampshire.  His  great 
ability  placed  him  in  the  front  rank,  and  he  rendered  the 
cause  of  liberty  great  service.  He  was  a  man  of  unblem- 
ished honor  and  integrity,  and  his  memory  is  held  in  high 
esteem. 

John  Pickering,  LL.  D.,  was  another  judge  who  made 
his  mark  and  was  an  important  factor  in  the  administra- 
tion of  justice.  He  was  Chief  Justice  from  1/90  to  1/95, 
and  afterwards  was  appointed  United  States  district 
judge  for  the  district  of  Xew  Hampshire.  He  was  a 
lawyer  of  distinction  and  a  very  able  jurist.  He  was  a 
representative  in  the  assembly  of  the  provincial  govern- 
ment, and  was  there  a  leader  who  exerted  a  great  influ- 
ence. In  1787  he  was  a  delegate  to  the  Convention  held 
for  the  purpose  of  forming  a  constitution  of  the  United 
States,  and  also  a  member  of  the  Xew  Hampshire  con- 
vention held  in  1788  to  ratify  the  United  States  constitu- 
tion, and  used  all  of  his  great  power  and  will  in  favor 

136 


STATE  BUILDERS 

of  its  adoption.  He  was  also  active  in  revising  the  con- 
stitution of  New  Hampshire. 

About  the  time  the  state  constitution  was  adopted,  and 
for  some  years  after,  there  appeared  a  large  number  of 
great  lawyers  who  performed  valuable  services  for  the 
state  and  for  their  profession,  and  they  have  left  names 
and  reputations  of  which  the  state  may  justly  be  proud. 
They  seem  to  have  been  especially  prepared  for  the  great 
work  assigned  them.  As  we  look  over  this  period  of 
our  state's  history,  we  can  but  admire  the  brilliant  array 
of  legal  minds  at  this  time  connected  with  the  jurispru- 
dence of  the  state.  Names  that  at  once  present  them- 
selves are  Jeremiah  Smith,  Daniel  Webster,  Jeremiah 
Mason  and  Ichabod  Bartlett. 

Judge  Smith  was  Chief  Justice  from  1802  to  1809,  and 
again  from  1813  to  1816.  He  was  educated  at  Harvard 
and  Rutgers  colleges,  was  a  man  of  great  learning,  and 
no  man  in  his  time  did  so  much  as  he  to  place  the  judic- 
iary of  the  state  on  an  independent  basis,  and  give  to  it 
a  standing  and  character  that  commanded  the  respect  and 
confidence  of  the  people.  Judge  Smith  was  not  only  a 
great  scholar  and  judge,  but  he  was  a  statesman,  and  gave 
his  best  efforts  to  aid  and  strengthen  the  cause  of  liberty. 
He  was  a  thorough  patriot,  and  his  whole  heart  was  filled 
with  the  spirit  of  the  times.  He  was  with  General  Stark 
at  Bennington,  was  elected  to  Congress  in  1790,  and 
occupied  a  seat  in  that  body  for  six  years.  It  is  said  that 
he  was  an  intimate  friend  of  Washington  and  visited  him 
at  Mount  Vernon.  He  was  elected  governor  of  the  state, 
but  this  office  was  not  agreeable  to  him,  and  he  held  it 
only  one  year. 

Daniel  Webster  regarded  him  as  an  able  lawyer  and 
judge,  and  often  expressed  his  great  admiration  for  Judge 
Smith's  legal  talents.  In  the  famous  Dartmouth  College 
case  (so  called)  he  took  an  active  part,  and  there,  as  else- 
where, displayed  his  great  learning  and  legal  ability. 


STATE  BUILDERS 

During  the  formative  period  of  our  state  government 
the  lawyers  and  jurists  were  active  in  directing  and  shap- 
ing the  different  branches  of  the  state  government,  and 
great  credit  is  due  the  profession  for  the  part  taken 
therein.  They  in  fact  put  the  wheels  of  government  in 
motion,  and  after  the  War  of  the  Revolution  was  over, 
the  people  were  ready,  under  the  direction  of  the  legal 
profession,  to  take  up  the  burdens  and  perform  the  duties 
of  citizenship  in  an  intelligent  and  rational  way.  Then 
it  was  that  the  great  legal  minds  planned  and  pointed 
the  way,  and  the  people,  inspired  by  the  spirit  of  liberty, 
made  an  advance  and  the  ship  of  state  was  successfully 
launched.  Then  it  was  that  the  courts  settled  constitu- 
tional questions  in  a  wise  and  safe  manner,  and  the 
interests  of  the  people  were  securely  guarded. 

That  intellectual  giant  among  giants,  Daniel  Webster, 
appeared  and  cleared  away  the  rubbish  and  lighted  up 
the  pathway,  so  that  constitutional  liberty  was  made  clear 
and  plain  in  state  and  nation.  Any  account  of  the  law- 
yers of  New7  Hampshire  would  be  defective  without  some- 
thing more  than  a  mere  reference  to  Daniel  Webster. 
Webster  was  admitted  to  the  bar  in  1805,  and  practised 
his  profession  in  Boscawen  and  Portsmouth  in  this  state 
before  removing  to  Boston.  When  he  was  twenty-four 
years  of  age  he  was  appointed  by  the  Court  to  defend 
one  Burnham,  who  had  been  indicted  for  murder,  and  it 
is  said  that  at  that  time  he  made  an  argument  or  address 
to  the  jury  in  this  case  that  called  forth  the  highest  praise 
from  Judge  Jeremiah  Smith.  At  this  early  period  in  his 
brilliant  career  he  exhibited  some  of  those  rare  qualities 
that  in  after  years  gave  him  the  first  place  in  American 
statesmanship,  and  placed  him  at  the  head  of  the  Ameri- 
can Bar.  Had  he  done  nothing  but  argue  the  Dartmouth 
College  case  before  the  Supreme  Court  of  the  United 
States,  his  reputation  as  a  lawyer  would  be  fixed  for  all 
time. 

138 


STATE  BUILDERS 

Jeremiah  Mason  and  Judge  Jeremiah  Smith  were  con- 
temporaries of  Webster,  and  each  had  an  exalted  opinion 
of  the  legal  abilities  of  the  other,  and  often  expressed  it. 
While  the  name  of  Webster  stands  out  first  among  the 
lawyers  of  his  time,  and  while  no  other  character  has 
left  so  deep  an  impress  upon  the  state  and  nation,  still 
there  was  at  least  one  other  name  that  still  stands  out 
in  bold  relief  in  New  Hampshire,  and  that  is  the  name 
of  Jeremiah  Mason.  Many  regarded  Mason  as  fully 
equal  to  Webster  as  a  constitutional  lawyer,  and  he  gave 
to  the  law  and  to  the  state  the  force  of  his  wonderful 
power  of  intellect. 

The  Bench  and  Bar  at  this  time  began  to  take  a  more 
independent  stand,  and  insisted  with  all  the  power  it 
possessed  that  the  legislative,  judicial  and  executive 
departments  of  the  state  government  should  be  entirely 
separate  and  distinct.  There  were  other  great  lawyers 
at  this  time,  who  were  active,  as  lawyers  and  as  leaders, 
in  the  state  government.  Among  them  should  be  men- 
tioned Ichabod  Bartlett,  William  Plummer  and  Levi 
Woodbury. 

Levi  Woodbury,  LL.  D.,  was  a  judge  from  1816  to 
1823.  He  graduated  at  Dartmouth  College  in  1809,  and 
in  1823  was  elected  Governor,  and  in  1825,  United  States 
Senator,  to  which  office  he  was  again  elected  in  1841. 
He  was  appointed  by  Gen.  Jackson  Secretary  of  the  Navy 
and  later  of  the  treasury.  He  was  offered  the  position  of 
ambassador  to  the  Court  of  St.  James,  but  this  he  de- 
clined, and  was  then  appointed  one  of  the  justices  of  the 
Supreme  Court  of  the  United  States.  Those  who  had 
occasion  to  practise  in  his  court  called  him  an  ideal  judge, 
who  had  all  the  characteristics  of  a  model  jurist,  and  re- 
flected great  honor  upon  his  state. 

The  New  Hampshire  Bar  was  at  this  time  distinguished 
for  its  ability.  Besides  those  already  mentioned,  there 
were  the  Sullivans,  Benjamin  West,  Arthur  Livermore, 


STATE  BUILDERS 

Governor  Hubbard,  Ezekiel  Webster,  James  Bell  and 
many  other  lawyers  of  state  and  national  reputation. 
Such  were  the  men  who  not  only  laid  the  foundation  of 
the  state  government,  but  who  in  a  large  measure  built 
the  superstructure. 

Judge  William  M.  Richardson  opened  up  a  new  chap- 
ter in  the  history  of  the  jurisprudence  of  the  state.  He 
was  Chief  Justice  from  1816  to  1838,  and  did  as  much 
to  shape  and  mould  the  judiciary  as  any  other  man.  No 
cases  which  had  been  decided  by  the  highest  court  in  the 
state  had  been  printed  and  reported  before  his  day.  He 
brought  order  out  of  chaos,  and  reduced  the  practice  of 
the  law  to  a  science.  During  his  long  service  he  rendered 
a  large  number  of  important  decisions.  His  opinion  in 
the  Dartmouth  College  case  was  regarded  at  the  time  and 
to-day  as  a  great  contribution  to  the  legal  literature  of 
that  period.  He  was  a  great  student  and  was  familiar 
with  several  ancient  and  modern  languages. 

Since  the  days  of  Chief  Justice  Richardson  there  have 
been  published  seventy  volumes  of  the  decisions  of  the 
court  of  last  resort,  and  in  these  volumes  is  found  a  wide 
range  of  subjects,  fully  discussed  and  considered,  so  that 
the  New  Hampshire  Law  Reports  stand  to-day  as  a  mon- 
ument of  labor,  learning  and  fidelity  of  the  judges  who 
have  occupied  the  bench.  These  reports  are  in  all  the  well 
selected  law  libraries  of  the  land,  and  have  been  quoted 
and  referred  to  by  lawyers  and  jurists  in  all  the  states 
of  the  Union.  It  has  often  been  said  by  jurists  that  these 
decisions  are  regarded  by  the  courts  as  among  the  highest 
and  best  authorities  extant,  and  as  the  years  come  and  go 
they  lose  none  of  their  value  and  importance. 

While  Judge  Richardson  did  a  noble  work  for  the 
profession,  and  brought  the  law  and  practice  up  to  a  much 
higher  and  better  standard,  many  of  the  judges  who 
followed  him  have  taken  a  high  rank  in  the  profession. 
Andrew  S.  Wood,  LL.  D.,  was  a  contemporary  of  Judge 

140 


STATE  BUILDERS 

Richardson,  and  in  some  respects  was  considered  his 
equal.  He  was  a  judge  for  fifteen  years,  and  discharged 
the  duties  of  his  ofhce  to  the  entire  satisfaction  of  all. 
He  had  a  brilliant  career,  and  his  opinions  stand  out  in 
the  reports  as  models,  and  have  always  commanded  the 
respect  of  the  bar.  \ 

By  the  casual  observer  it  may  be  considered  that  the 
lawyers  and  judges  who  took  such  an  active  part  in  the 
formation  of  the  state  government  and  who  administered 
its  laws  during  the  first  fifty  years  after  the  adoption  of 
the  state  constitution,  were  superior  to  those  who  have 
come  alter  them,  but  one  who  gives  the  subject  more 
careful  study  and  consideration  will  arrive  at  a  different 
conclusion.  \Yhen  we  study  the  life  and  character  of 
such  jurists  as  Joel  Parker,  John  J.  Gilchrist,  Samuel  D. 
Bell,  Ira  Perley,  Henry  A.  Bellows,  W.  S.  Ladd,  Charles 
Doe  and  Alonzo  P.  Carpenter,  all  of  whom  have  lived 
since  the  days  of  Judge  Richardson,  we  are  led  to  believe 
that  the  standard  has  been  elevated  instead  of  being 
lowered.  All  of  these  held  the  office  of  Chief  Justice, 
except  Judge  Ladd. 

Judge  Joel  Parker  has  had  few  equals.  Everything 
connected  with  his  professional  life  was  done  in  the  most 
brilliant  and  satisfactory  manner.  He  was  an  ornament 
to  the  profession,  and  closed  his  career  as  judge  in  1848, 
when  he  was  appointed  Royall  professor  in  the  Harvard 
law  school.  He  performed  all  of  the  duties  of  that 
responsible  position  in  a  manner  highly  creditable  to  him- 
self and  to  the  institution  with  which  he  was  connected. 
He  occupied  this  position  for  twenty  years,  and  the 
profession  in  New  Hampshire  has  always  been  proud  of 
Joel  Parker,  and  regarded  him  as  a  model  judge  and  a 
laAvyer  of  unblemished  character. 

John  J.  Gilchrist  was  Judge  Parker's  contemporary, 
and  the  more  his  judicial  career  is  examined  and  his 

141 


STATE  BUILDERS 

opinions  studied,  the  more  he  is  regarded  as  an  able 
jurist. 

Ira  Perley  was  a  great  student,  and  had  many  of  the 
qualities  of  a  great  judge.  He  was  accurate  and  learned, 
but  at  times  irascible;  still,  he  held  the  scales  of  justice 
with  an  even  hand. 

Judge  Bell  was  one  of  the  most  courteous  and  amiable 
gentlemen  who  ever  occupied  a  seat  upon  the  Bench. 
Especially  kind  and  considerate  to  the  young  lawyer, 
by  whom  he  was  much  loved  and  respected,  Senator 
William  E.  Chandler  speaks  of  him  as  "one  of  the  ablest 
and  purest  of  the  judges  who  have  graced  the  New 
Hampshire  Bench." 

Charles  Doe  was  a  unique  character  in  his  adminis- 
tration of  the  law  of  New  Hampshire.  He  revolution- 
ized, to  a  great  degree,  the  practice  of  the  law  in  the  state, 
by  sweeping  away  technical  pleadings  and  bringing  par- 
ties face  to  face  on  the  broad  ground  of  right  and  justice. 
By  many  he  is  regarded  as  the  ablest  jurist  of  modern 
times. 

Alonzo  P.  Carpenter  was  his  immediate  successor  as 
Chief  Justice,  and  he  has  left  a  name  that  is  honored 
throughout  the  state,  and  he  is  justly  classed  as  among 
the  ablest  judges.  Many  of  his  decisions  are  regarded 
as  the  best  type  of  judicial  wisdom  and  reasoning,  and 
are  prepared  with  great  care  and  learning. 

These  jurists  who  have  held  the  courts,  in  part,  during 
the  last  half  century,  are  not  surpassed  in  any  jurisdiction. 
Thus  far  we  have  confined  our  discussion  very  largely 
to  the  bench,  but  the  practising  la\vyer  is  so  intimately 
connected  with  the  judge  on  the  bench  that  it  is  difficult 
to  separate  them.  Judges  and  lawyers  must  act  in  har- 
mony to  secure  the  highest  and  best  results  in  the  adminis- 
tration of  justice.  It  would  be  very  embarrassing  for 
any  member  of  the  Court  to  occupy  that  position  when 
opposed  by  any  considerable  portion  of  the  bar.  In  fact, 

142 


STATE  BUILDERS 

judges  as  a  rule  hold  their  places  through  the  influence 
and  by  the  co-operation  of  the  bar. 

Fifty  years  ago  cases  were  tried  in  court  very  differ- 
ently from  the  course  now  adopted.  In  the  early  days 
lawyers  took  more  liberties  in  examining  witnesses  and 
addressing  juries  than  they  do  to-day.  Then  it  was  quite 
common  to  go  outside  the  record  and  to  make  statements 
and  refer  to  matters  and  things  wholly  irrelevant,  and 
discuss  many  subjects  not  involved  in  the  trial  of  the 
cause.  To-day  the  supreme  court  would  set  aside  a  verdict 
for  such  a  course  of  procedure,  and  this  is  well  under- 
stood by  the  profession.  Counsel  have  been  taught  to 
adhere  strictly  to  the  evidence  in  the  case.  This  makes 
the  practice  of  the  law  much  more  accurate  and  satisfac- 
tory. In  brief,  nothing  is  allowed  to  be  considered  but 
the  facts  brought  out  in  evidence,  and  the  law  applicable 
to  these  particular  facts.  In  this  way  the  results  are  more 
satisfactory,  and  justice  is  surer  and  more  likely  to  be 
obtained  than  by  the  earlier  methods.  It  has  been  thought 
by  some  that  the  modern  method  is  too  restrictive,  and 
that  advocates  have  lost  much  of  their  influence  and 
power  by  being  held  too  closely  to  this  rule.  \Yhile 
to-day  the  advocate  may  not  have  that  unlimited  sway 
that  he  exercised  in  former  times,  and  then  often  to  the 
prejudice  of  exact  justice,  still  there  is  ample  room  at 
the  present  time  for  the  exercise  of  those  high  qualities 
of  mind  and  heart  that  gives  to  the  orator  a  marvellous 
power  over  his  hearers.  The  office  of  the  advocate  has 
always  been  regarded  by  the  profession  as  of  the  highest 
importance.  Only'  a  few  of  the  leading  lawyers  can  be 
personally  referred  to  in  this  paper,  but  any  history  of 
the  Bench  and  Bar  in  Xew  Hampshire  would  be  very 
unsatisfactory  without  mentioning  the  names  of  some  of 
the  leading  practitioners  and  advocates.  Many  of  those 
who  have  been  referred  to  as  judges  were  active  lawyers, 


STATE  BUILDERS 

practising  at  the  bar  before  receiving  their  judicial  ap- 
pointments. 

Judge  Jeremiah  Smith,  Webster,  and  Jeremiah  Mason 
all  regarded  Benjamin  West  of  Charlestown  as  the  most 
successful  advocate  of  that  time  in  the  state.  He  held 
a  prominent  place  in  state  and  nation,  as  member  of 
Congress,  as  member  of  the  convention  that  framed  the 
constitution  of  the  United  States,  and  as  a  member  of 
the  Convention  to  ratify  the  same — but  he  appeared  at  his 
best  when  arguing  a  difficult  case  before  a  jury. 

Some  years  later  in  the  same  town  lived  Henry  Hub- 
bard,  who  was  a  very  influential  lawyer  in  western  Xew 
Hampshire,  and  who  occupied  a  seat  in  both  branches 
of  Congress. 

Then,  as  now,  the  leading  lawyers  were  active  in  all 
the  affairs  of  the  state,  and  the  political  parties  were  usu- 
ally led  and  controlled  by  them.  There  was  about  this 
time  a  group  of  lawyers  and  advocates  of  great  promi- 
nence in  the  state.  In  this  group  in  active  practice  were 
Charles  G.  Atherton,  Franklin  Pierce,  John  S.  Wells, 
James  Wilson  and  John  Sullivan. 

Atherton  and  Pierce  were  often  engaged  in  the  trial 
of  the  same  cases,  and  the  court  room  would  be  crowded 
when  these  great  lawyers  met,  and  crowds  listened  to 
their  eloquence  with  breathless  attention.  It  is  said  that 
Atherton  excelled  in  the  trial  of  causes,  and  has  few 
equals  in  this  department.  He  distinguished  himself  not 
only  as  a  lawyer,  but  as  congressman  and  United  States 
senator.  In  Franklin  Pierce  he  had  a  formidable  antag- 
onist. He  was  a  model  advocate  and  had  all  the  graces 
of  the  orator.  Attractive  in  his  personality,  with  a  clear, 
musical  voice,  cultivated  in  all  the  arts  of  public  speaking, 
he  carried  the  juries  along  with  him.  He  had  few  if  any 
equals  in  marshalling  the  facts  in  a  case  and  presenting 
them  in  a  manner  that  carried  conviction  to  the  mind  of 
the  jury.  He  was  in  his  day  the  idol  of  his  party,  and  in 

144 


STATE  BUILDERS 

1852  was  triumphantly  elected  president  of  the  United 
States.  President  Pierce  was  severely  criticized  during 
his  administration,  and  it  was  claimed  that  he  was  in 
sympathy  with  the  pro-slavery  party  of  the  South.  This 
was  at  a  time  when  party  spirit  was  at  a  high  mark,  and 
the  passions  and  prejudices  of  political  parties  were  un- 
duly excited  and  aroused.  That  he  loved  his  country 
and  was  a  patriot  no  one  can  doubt. 

The  name  of  John  Sullivan  brings  to  mind  one  who 
was  a  tower  of  strength  in  the  administration  of  the  crim- 
inal law  of  the  state.  He  was  for  many  years  Attorney 
General,  and  in  the  trial  of  criminals  rendered  the  state 
valuable  service.  All  of  his  efforts  were  in  behalf  of 
justice,  and  he  never  insisted  upon  a  conviction  unless 
the  evidence  fully  warranted  such  a  result.  In  his  ad- 
dresses to  the  jury  he  was  earnest,  logical  and  eloquent, 
and  when  he  brought  all  the  force  of  his  intellectual 
power  against  the  respondent  at  the  bar,  escape  seemed 
impossible. 

There  are  many  more  lawyers  whose  influence  and 
whose  merits  might  be  set  forth  if  space  allowed.  Such 
names  as  Daniel  M.  Christie,  George  W.  Morrison,  John 
H.  George,  William  P.  Wheeler,  Edmund  Burke,  Ed- 
mund L.  Gushing,  Gilman  Marston,  Mason  W.  Tappan 
and  Harry  Bingham.  These  were  men  who  belonged 
to  a  recent  period,  and  were  all  celebrated  not  only  as 
lawyers,  but  were  distinguished  for  their  valiant  service 
to  the  state,  to  their  country  and  to  their  fellow  men. 

The  name  of  Harry  Bingham  is  known  by  every  mem- 
ber of  the  bar  in  the  state.  He  was  great  in  every  depart- 
ment of  life.  Had  he  lived  in  the  days  of  Daniel  Web- 
ster and  Jeremiah  Mason  his  reputation  would  not  have 
suffered  in  comparison  with  theirs.  He  was  a  pillar  in 
support  of  the  temple  of  justice.  While  we  admire  the 
brilliant  advocate,  and  are  charmed  by  his  eloquence,  he 
is  not  always  the  most  useful  member  of  the  profession. 


STATE  BUILDERS 

The  honest,  quiet,  hard-working  lawyer  in  his  office,  often 
best  serves  his  fellow  men.  He  has  their  confidence;  they 
feel  that  their  varied  interests  are  safe  in  his  keeping. 
It  was  declared  by  the  Roman  Emperors  that  it  the  law- 
yer performed  his  duty  aright,  he  was  as  much  a  benefac- 
tor of  mankind  as  the  warrior  upon  the  field  of  battle 
who  saved  his  country  from  defeat  and  ruin.  Who  can 
estimate  the  great  responsibility  of  the  lawyer  as  he 
stands  in  a  Court  of  Justice  as  an  advocate  when  the 
life  of  a  fellow  citizen  is  being  weighed  in  the  balance. 
It  should  be  remembered  that  the  duties  of  the  lawyer 
are  not  strictly  confined  to  the  courts,  and  the  practice  of 
his  profession.  He  is,  and  always  has  been,  active  in  all 
the  duties  of  citizenship.  The  cause  of  education  has  ever 
found  in  him  a  friend  and  supporter.  The  community 
is  ever  looking  to  him  for  counsel  and  advice  in  all  public 
and  private  enterprises.  He  is  truly  a  public  servant, 
and  when  we  realize  how  varied  are  his  duties,  how  wide 
his  influence,  and  how  great  are  his  opportunities  to  serve 
the  public,  no  one  can  doubt  the  exalted  character  of  the 
profession.  He  stands  as  a  sentinel  to  guard  the  people's 
interest  and  to  protect  them  against  approaching  danger. 
In  legislative  bodies  in  this  country  as  well  as  in  popular 
assemblies,  the  majority  rules.  This  is  a  fundamental 
principle  of  our  government.  While  all  admit  that  this  is 
the  best  rule  that  can  be  promulgated  for  the  government 
of  such  bodies,  still  there  is  and  always  has  been  some 
danger  in  its  operation,  and  nothing  has  contributed 
more  to  hold  majorities  in  check  and  prevent  wild  and 
extravagant  action,  than  the  conservative  influence  of  the 
legal  mind.  Thus  it  will  be  seen  how  important  it  is 
that  lawyers  should  be  in  the  forefront  in  all  legislative 
bodies.  Our  state  has  always  recognized  this,  and  we 
find  in  the  first  and  second  provincial  congresses,  held  at 
Exeter  in  1774  and  in  1775,  that  the  controlling  influence 
then  and  there  was  the  action  of  the  few  lawyers  who 

146 


STATE  BUILDERS 

were  members  of  those  bodies.  The  same  is  true  in  all 
the  constitutional  conventions  from  1778  to  the  last  one 
in  1889.  By  referring  to  some  statistics  compiled  by  the 
Hon.  J.  H.  Benton  and  given  in  an  address  of  much 
merit  and  importance  before  the  Southern  New  Hamp- 
shire bar  association  in  1894,  he  states:  "Of  the  speak- 
ers in  the  House  of  Representatives  in  N.  H.,  from 
1791  to  1894,  fifty  of  the  sixty-two  who  have  occupied 
that  position  were  lawyers,  and  of  the  presidents  of  the 
senate,  thirty-four  of  the  seventy-five  were  of  this  pro- 
fession." We  shall  find  that  this  rule  holds  good  in  the 
office  of  governor  and  other  state  officials.  The  same  is 
also  true  in  the  election  of  senators  and  representatives 
in  congress  and  even  in  the  election  of  presidents  of  the 
United  States.  In  short,  lawyers  have  always  guarded 
every  department  of  government,  and  this  is  acknowl- 
edged to  be  true  by  all  classes,  and  not  only  is  it  for  the 
best  good  of  the  people,  but  absolutely  necessary  for  the 
safety  and  security  of  the  government.  Every  depart- 
ment of  the  state  government  has  been  shaped  and  con- 
trolled by  the  legal  profession.  While  the  number  of 
lawyers  in  the  legislature  has  not  always  been  great,  they 
have  at  all  times  directed  its  action  to  a  very  large  ex- 
tent. The  judiciary  committee  of  the  house  has  been  the 
controlling  influence  and  the  lawyers  of  this  committee 
have  always  carefully  investigated  all  measures  of  im- 
portance before  giving  them  a  favorable  report.  It  would 
be  impracticable  for  any  class  of  legislators  to  do  this 
work  unless  they  had  received  a  legal  education.  This 
committee  has  at  all  times  held  a  firm  grasp  upon  all  legis- 
lative action.  All  acts  of  any  public  interest  have  invari- 
ably been  examined  by  them.  A  legislature  without  the 
guiding  hand  of  the  lawyers  would  be  like  a  ship  at  sea 
without  a  chart  or  compass.  Legislation  should  be  a 
healthy  public  sentiment  fashioned  and  moulded  into  law. 
Sir  Edward  Coke  tells  us,  "Reason  is  the  life  of  the  law, 


STATE  BUILDERS 

and  law;  is  the  perfection  of  reason,"  and  it  requires  the 
most  critical  analysis  and  sound  judgment  to  work  out 
the  various  problems  and  put  them  into  proper  shape  for 
the  best  good  of  the  people.  No  one  who  is  not  trained 
in  the  law  and  has  not  learned  the  art  of  discrimina- 
tion is  competent  to  perform  this  task.  Ours  being  a  gov- 
ernment of  law,  it  would  be  impossible  to  administer  it 
without  those  skilled  in  this  science. 

The  laws  are  not  only  made,  but  they  are  executed  by 
this  class  of  men.  They  have  laid  aside  the  duties  of 
the  advocate  and  the  making  of  briefs,  and  put  on  the 
robe  of  justice,  still  they  are  lawyers.  We  might  ask  with 
Cicero,  "What  is  so  king  like,  so  munificent  as  to  bestow 
help  on  those  who  supplicate  our  aid?  to  raise  the  op- 
pressed and  save  our  fellow  citizens  from  peril  and  pre- 
serve them  to  the  state?" 

Lawyers  by  their  education  and  by  their  habit  of 
thought  and  action,  naturally  become  conservative,  and 
adhere  to  fundamental  principles ;  hence  they  are  slow  to 
change,  but  cling  to  fundamental  truths.  They  adhere 
to  organic  law  and  constitutional  guarantees.  In  this 
lies  the  safety  of  the  state  and  nation,  for  they  are 
anchored  to  something  that  is  reliable,  and  are  unmoved 
when  danger  threatens  the  state.  It  is  the  lawyer  who 
stands  at  the  helm  ever  ready  to  guide  the  "ship  of  state" 
through  the  storm. 

The  life,  liberty,  and  property  of  the  individual  are 
placed1  in  the  care  and  custody  of  the  lawyer,  and  if  he  is 
true  to  his  profession,  they  are  sacredly  and  securely  cared 
for.  Not  only  this,  the  great  interests  of  state  and  nation 
are  in  his  keeping.  He  is  also  called  upon  to  care  for  and 
consider  those  more  delicate  relations  of  domestic  life, 
which  are  constantly  pressing  upon  him.  More  than  this, 
he  has  always  been  ready  to  answer  the  call  of  country 
"when  grim-visaged  war"  is  seen  throughout  the  land. 
Many  of  the  active  and  prominent  lawyers  in  New  Hamp- 

148 


STATE  BUILDERS 

shire  left  their  practice  and  went  to  the  front  during  the 
War  of  the  Revolution  and  during  the  War  of  the  Rebel- 
lion, and  there,  as  elsewhere,  maintained  the  honor  and 
integrity  of  the  nation. 

Proud  as  we  should  be  of  the  name  and  fame  of  the 
New  Hampshire  Bench  and  Bar  for  what  it  has  been  in 
the  past,  we  believe  that  it  is  still  an  honor  to  the  state, 
and  that  the  profession  has  made  progress  during  the  last 
twenty-five  years.  The  rules  of  Court  now  require  that 
all  students  shall  be  examined  by  a  competent  committee, 
and  they  must  pass  a  rigid  examination  before  they  can 
be  admitted  to  practice  at  the  bar.  The  bar  has  been 
elevated  by  this  means,  and  attorneys  are  very  much  bet- 
ter prepared  than  ever  before. 

This,  briefly,  is  what  has  been  done  by  the  Bench  and 
Bar  of  New  Hampshire.  The  work  accomplished  makes 
a  bright  page  in  the  history  of  the  state.  Its  motto  is, 
''Fiat  justicia  ruat  coelum."  Each  and  every  member  of 
the  bar  ought  to  be  deeply  impressed  with  the  dignity  and 
greatness  of  his  calling.  It  is  a  noble  profession,  and  no 
one  but  an  active  member  can  realize  the  great  responsi- 
bility which  is  assumed  by  those  who  belong  to  it.  The 
lawyer  has  not  only  his  own  personal  cares  and  duties, 
but  he  must  bear  the  burdens  of  his  clients,  and  keep 
constantly  in  mind  their  interests  and  their  welfare  in  all 
the  complicated  matters  committed  to  his  keeping,  and 
this  involves  study  and  anxious  thought. 

Nowhere  has  the  profession  attained  a  prouder  or  more 
honorable  position  than  in  New  Hampshire.  From  the 
earliest  times  in  her  history  it  has  been  celebrated  for  its 
high  character  and  learning.  Let  it  be  guarded  and  pro- 
tected with  a  jealous  eye  and  it  will  continue  to  be  in  the 
future  as  it  has  been  in  the  past,  the  great  conservator  of 
state  and  nation. 

No  class  of  men  has  ever  been  more  ready  to  sound  the 
praises  of  the  "Old  Granite  State"  than  her  lawyers. 

149 


STATE  BUILDERS 

Their  love  and  affection  for  her  hills  and  valleys  have 
been  made  manifest  throughout  her  history.  They  have 
championed  her  cause  wherever  and  whenever  an  oppor- 
tunity has  been  presented,  and  have  always  been  loyal 
to  all  of  her  interests.  On  the  other  hand,  the  state  has 
placed  her  best  interests  in  their  keeping,  and  crowned 
them  with  her  highest  honors. 

"Of  law  there  can  be  no  less  acknowledged,  than  that 
her  seat  is  the  bosom  of  God,  her  voice  the  harmony  of 
the  world." 

NOTE.  —  For  some  of  the  facts  in  this  paper  the  author  is  indebted  to 
the  late  Hon.  Charles  H.  Bell,  in  his  admirable  work  entitled  "  The  Bench 
and  Bar  of  New  Hampshire." 


NOTES  ON  THE  MEDICAL  PROFESSION 
OF  NEW  HAMPSHIRE 

BY  IRVING  A.  WATSON.  A.M.,  M.D. 

No  class  of  men  has  a  cleaner  record,  or  has  done  more 
for  the  upbuilding  of  the  state-from  the  earliest  Colonial 
period  to  the  present  time  than  the  medical  profession. 
History  shows  that  our  physicians  have  not  only  stood  in 
the  front  rank  of  their  profession,  but  that,  through  all 
the  struggles  and  vicissitudes  of  the  Commonwealth  from 
its  very  planting  to  the  twentieth  century,  they  have  been 
among  the  leaders,  whether  in  war  or  peace,  serving  with 
a  loyalty  and  patriotism  unchallenged  and  unexcelled. 

The  little  colony  which  began  the  building  of  the 
state  of  New  Hampshire  at  Strawberry  Bank,  in  1623, 
struggled  with  all  the  hardships  incident  to  the  severest 
of  pioneer  life,  without  a  physician  for  eight  years,  when, 
in  1631,  with  the  new  impetus  which  was  given  the 
colony  by  the  arrival  of  some  fifty  men  and  twenty- two 
women,  came  Dr.  Renald  Fernald,  the  first  physician  to 
settle  in  the  Province  of  New  Hampshire  and  the  second 
in  New  England,  Dr.  Samuel  Fuller,  more  frequently 
designated  as  Deacon  Samuel  Fuller,  who  came  over  in 
the  "Mayflower"  and  settled  at  Plymouth  Colony,  being 
the  first.  It  is  an  interesting  fact  that  under  such  circum- 
stances a  regularly  educated  physician  should  have  set- 
tled with  this  little  colony;  and  to  what  extent  its  future 
was  due  to  his  guiding  presence  cannot  be  shown,  but  it 
is  among  the  probabilities  that  its  successful  career  was 
largely  shaped  by  him. 


STATE  BUILDERS 

Dr.  Fernald  was  born  in  Bristol,  England,  July  6, 
1595.  He  is  said  to  have  resigned  a  position  in  the  Eng- 
lish navy  to  come  to  America,  and,  sailing  in  the  "War- 
wick," arrived  at  Strawberry  Bank  July  4,  1631.  That 
he  was  a  man  of  ability,  and  that  he  served  the  colony 
to  which  he  had  joined  himself  with  honor  and  fidelity, 
is  evident  from  the  few  records  left  of  his  career.  He 
was  captain  of  a  military  company;  Grand  Juror  in  1643; 
Town  Recorder,  1654-1656;  was  Trial  Justice  of  the 
Peace,  Recorder  of  Deeds,  Surveyor  and  Commissioner, 
and  Clerk  of  Portsmouth  at  the  time  of  his  death,  Octo- 
ber 6,  1656. 

The  name  of  Strawberry  Bank  \vas  changed  to  Ports- 
mouth through  the  efforts  of  Dr.  Fernald,  in  a  petition 
which  he  with  four  others  presented  to  the  General 
Court  in  May,  1653,  giving  for  a  reason  that  the  name 
of  Strawberry  Bank  was  "accidentally  so  called  by  reason 
of  the  bank  of  strawberries  that  was  found  in  this  place, 
and  now  your  petitioners'  humble  desire  is  to  have  it 
called  Portsmouth,  being  a  name  most  suitable  for  this 
place,  it  being  at  the  river's  mouth,  and  a  good  liar  Dor 
as  any  in  the  land." 

The  first  coroner's  inquest  held  in  New  Hampshire 
was  in  January,  1655,  by  a  jury  of  twelve  men,  under  the 
direction  of  Dr.  Fernald,  who  certifies  that  the  said  jury 
returned  the  following  verdict: 

"Wee  whose  names  are  subscribed  doe  testifie  how  wee 
found  Thomas  Tuttell,  the  son  of  John  Tuttell  by  the 
stump  of  a  tree  which  he  had  newly  fallin  upon  another 
limb  of  the  other  tree  rebounding  back  and  fell  upon  him, 
which  was  the  cause  of  his  death  as  wee  consider :  this 
was  found  the  last  day  of  the  last  March." 

After  the  death  of  Dr.  Fernald,  in  1656,  I  find  no 
evidence  of  there  having  been  any  regular  physician  in 
the  colony,  or  province,  for  many  years,  the  next,  per- 
haps, being  Walter  Barefoote,  who  lived  at  Newcastle  as 

152 


STATE  BUILDERS 

early  as  1660,  but  who  seemed  almost  wholly  engaged  in 
politics,  although  he  was  a  physician.  He  was  Counsel- 
lor in  1682,  and  Chief  Magistrate  of  the  province  in  1685. 
He  died  in  1688. 

The  second  practising  physician  in  the  Province  was 
probably  John  Fletcher,  who  lived  in  Portsmouth,  was  ad- 
mitted freeman  in  1669.  He  was  one  of  the  nine  found- 
ers of  the  first  church  in  Portsmouth,  in  1671.  He  died 
September  5,  1695. 

Perhaps  the  next  in  order  to  be  designated  as  a  phy- 
sician was  John  Buss,  who  was  also  a  minister,  and  who 
settled  at  Dover  in  the  Oyster  River  Parish,  now  Dur- 
ham, in  1684.  He  practised  medicine  and  preached  from 
that  date  to  1718,  when  he  retired. 

The  practice  of  medicine  at  this  time,  as  well  as  for 
many  years  afterward,  was  to  a  considerable  extent  in  the 
hands  of  the  ministers,  who  added  this  accomplishment 
to  their  chosen  labor  of  saving  souls,  maintaining  intact 
their  inelastic  and  unyielding  dogmas,  exercising  a  cen- 
sorship over  the  words  and  actions  of  their  parishioners, 
standing  guard  against  heresy  and  at  all  points  fighting 
the  devil  with  a  few,  but  to  them,  all  of  the  legitimate  and 
sanctified  weapons  of  religious  warfare.  To  them  medical 
science  was  as  positive  and  as  circumscribed  as  their 
theology.  A  limited  knowledge  of  anatomy,  and  less 
of  physiology,  with  the  most  empirical  doctrine  of  thera- 
peutics constituted  a  sufficient  medical  education.  There 
was -no  pathology,  no  chemistry,  no  microscopic  investi- 
gations, no  post-mortem  examinations  to  verify  diag- 
nosis, no  clinical  thermometers,  stethoscopes,  ophthalmo- 
scopes, etc.,  in  fact,  little  beyond  prayer;  venesection, 
emetics,  and  cathartics,  which  were  the  chief  and  con- 
stant reliance  of  the  practitioner,  to  which  all  forms  of 
disease,  or  the  patient,  succumbed.  Green  (History  of 
Medicine  in  Massachusetts)  says  that  "the  ministers  were 
expert  in  phlebotomy  and  they  were  wont  to  bleed  and 


STATE  BUILDERS 

pray  in  all  severe  cases."  The  text-books  taught  that 
bleeding  was  in  nearly  all  diseases  the  first  thing  to  be 
resorted  to,  and  in  plethoric  persons  repeated  bleedings 
were  often  recorded.  So  universally  was  this  operation 
believed  in  as  a  remedial  procedure  and  as  a  preventive 
of  disease,  that  it  became  a  very  general  practice  among 
the  well  to  be  bled  at  least  every  spring.  Barbers  often 
performed  this  operation  as  well  as  extracted  teeth. 
Emetics  were  also  in  great  favor,  applicable  to  almost 
every  phase  of  ill  health.  Cathartics  were  used  to  an 
almost  unlimited  extent.  With  this  heroic  and  appalling 
method  of  medical  treatment,  a  patient,  if  he  were  fortu- 
nate enough  to  recover,  must  have  been  forever  after  in 
doubt  as  to  what  cured  him. 

The  next  physician  of  note  in  the  Province  was  Dr. 
Thomas  Packer,  who  began  practice  in  Portsmouth  about 
1687,  and  remained  there  until  his  death  in  1724.  Dr. 
Packer  was  born  in  Portsmouth,  England,  educated  as 
a  surgeon  in  London,  came  to  this  country  when  a  young 
man,  and  after  residing  a  short  time  in  Salem,  Mass., 
located  permanently  in  Portsmouth.  He  was  a  man  of 
large  influence  and  in  high  favor,  most  of  the  time,  with 
the  Royal  Government.  The  General  Court  of  New 
Hampshire  was  held  at  his  house  at  one  time.  He  also 
was  noted  for  entertaining  the  royal  guests  that  visited 
the  province;  was  influential  in  the  community,  and  so 
well  thought  of  by  the  governor  as  to  be  included  in  the 
real  estate  allotment  of  several  towns.*  He  also  held 
several  military  and  civic  offices. 

Perhaps  the  next  physicians  in  chronological  order 
were  Dr.  Thomas  Alden>  and  Dr.  Jonathan  Crosbee,  who 
were  in  Dover  as  early  as  1717  and  1718  respectively. 

Dr.  Joseph  Peirce,  who  was  quite  a  prominent  and  able 
physician  for  his  time,  began  practice  in  Portsmouth, 

*  See  Biographical  Sketch  of  Dr.  Packer  by  the  author  in  Granite 
Monthly,  February,  1900. 

154 


STATE  BUILDERS 

probably  about  the  time  of  Dr.  Packer's  death,  in  1724. 
He  was  in  successful  practice  in  that  place  until  January 
77,  1749,  at  which  time  he  died  of  small  pox.  Dr.  Peirce, 
in  1744,  was  commissioned  ''Surgeon  Gen.  of  ye  N. 
Hampshire  Troops  and  Naval  Forces,"  in  which  capacity 
he  served  the  province  well. 

Dr.  John  Ross  was  a  physician  of  some  note  in  Ports- 
mouth, and  was  practising  in  that  place  as  late  as  1747. 
He  was  one  of  the  incorporators  of  Barrington,  in  1722, 
and  of  Kingswood,  in  1737.  He  practised  medicine  for 
many  years  in  Portsmouth. 

Although  Exeter  was  settled  in  1638,  as  far  as  can  be 
ascertained  no  physician  located  there  until  about  1718  or 
1720,  although  it  is  not  supposed  that  during  this  entire 
period  the  town  was  without  some  one  who  practised  the 
healing  art,  though  perhaps  in  special  cases  medical  aid. 
may  have  been  received  from  Portsmouth.  Dr.  Thomas 
Dean,  who  was  born  in  Boston,  November  28,  1694, 
began  practising  in  Exeter  between  about  the  dates  above 
stated,  and  followed  his  profession  there  until  his  death 
in  1768.  In  official  capacity  he  served  as  selectman  of 
the  town,  and  was  captain  and  afterwards  major  in  the 
Militia.  He  was  one  of  the  proprietors  of  the  town  of 
Gilmanton. 

The  next  physician  to  settle  in  that  town  was  Dr. 
Josiah  Oilman,  who  was  born  in  Exeter  February  25, 
1710,  and  died  January  i,  1793.  He  was  an  able  medical 
practitioner,  a  man  of  considerable  education  and  good 
business  capacity;  was  loyal  to  the  colony  and  served  the 
province  well. 

From  his  time  to  the  Revolutionary  period,  the  fol- 
lowing physicians,  some  of  whose  names  will  be  forever 
perpetuated  in  the  history  of  the  colony,  were  engaged  in 
the  practice  of  medicine  in  Exeter :  Dudley  Odlin, 
Robert  Oilman,  Eliphalet  Hale,  John  Giddings,  John 
Odlin,  Nathaniel  Gilman,  Caleb  G.  Adams.  John  Lam- 


STATE  BUILDERS 

son,  Joseph  Tilton.  Samuel  T.enney  and  Nathaniel  Pea- 
body.  Evidently  all  these  physicians  were  men  of 
unusual  ability  and  patriotism,  and  did  more  or  less  ser- 
vice for  the  Province  and  for  the  country.  Dr.  Giddings 
was  selectman,  representative,  commanded  a  company 
in  the  Revolution,  and  was  nominated  a  candidate  to  the 
Continental  Congress,  but  modestly  declined.  Dr.  Adams 
served  in  the  Revolution  as  Surgeon  of  Col.  Poore's 
Third  New  Hampshire  Regiment ;  Dr.  Lamson  was  noted 
for  his  eventful  life,  which  from  the  time  of  his  coming 
of  age  was  largely  devoted  to  the  service  of  his  country, 
serving  as  surgeon's  mate  under  Col.  Nathaniel  Meserve; 
was  captured  by  the  Indians  after  the  surrender  of  Mont- 
calm;  held  a  prisoner  by  the  French  in  Montreal,  was  ran- 
somed, finally  exchanged,  and  sent  to  England,  where, 
having  attracted  the  attention  of  Gen.  Edward  Wolfe, 
father  of  the  future  captor  of  Quebec,  he  was  appointed 
Surgeon's  Mate  in  the  King's  regiment,  under  Wolfe's 
command.  Two  years  later,  he  returned  to  Exeter,  subse- 
quently served  as  surgeon  in  another  regiment.  Dr. 
Joseph  Tilton  served  as  Surgeon  on  board  the  "Pri- 
vateer" during  the  Revolution.  Dr.  Nathaniel  Peabody 
became  an  eminent  physician,  and  also  a  man  of  note, 
having  served  as  Adjutant-General  of  the  Militia  of  the 
state;  a  delegate  to  the  Continental  Congress;  a  member 
of  the  State  Legislature,  and  Major-General  of  the  Militia. 
Dr.  Tenney,  from  the  breaking  out  of  the  Revolution, 
entered  the  army,  was  present  in  season  to  assist  the 
wounded  at  Bunker  Hill.  At  the  close  of  the  war  he  re- 
turned to  Exeter  and  continued  the  practice  of  his  pro- 
fession. 

The  physicians  of  Dover,  from  the  time  of  Dr.  Cros- 
bee,  about  1718,  down  to  the  Revolutionary  War,  were 
Samuel  Merrow,  Thomas  Miller,  Cheney  Smith,  Moses 
Carr,  Moses  Howe,  Ebenezer  Noyes,  Ezra  Green  and 
Samuel  Wigglesworth,  all  of  whom,  so  far  as  can  be 

156 


STATE  BUILDERS 

learned,  were  able  and  reputable  men,  some  of  whom 
served  the  Province  in  a  military  or  a  political  capacity. 

Dr.  Miller  was  appointed  surgeon  of  a  New  Hamp- 
shire regiment  under  Colonel  Moore,  in  the  Louisburg  ex- 
pedition, in  1745;  but  I  find  no  record  of  his  accepting 
the  appointment. 

Dr.  Smith  was  assistant  surgeon  of  a  New  Hampshire 
regiment  in  1759. 

Dr.  Moses  Carr,  in  addition  to  his  medical  practice,  was 
Judge  of  the  Court  of  Common  Pleas  from  1776  to  1784, 
and  was  also  a  charter  member  of  the  New  Hampshire 
Medical  Society. 

Dr.  Ezra  Green  was  born  June  17,  1746  O.  S.;  grad- 
uated from  Harvard  College  in  1765;  settled  in  Dover  as 
physician  in  1767;  immediately  following  the  battle  of 
Bunker  Hill  he  joined  a  New  Hampshire  regiment  under 
Colonel  Reed  as  surgeon,  and  served  until  the  winter  of 
1776;  in  1777,  was  commissioned  Surgeon  of  the  war  ship 
"Ranger"  under  command  of  Capt.  John  Paul  Jones, 
sailed  for  France  in  November  of  that  year,  and  was  in 
the  engagement  with  the  "Drake";  sailed  again  as  Sur- 
geon of  the  "Ranger"  two  years  later,  and  in  1780  as  Sur- 
geon of  the  "Alexander,"  serving  in  that  capacity  until 
1781,  when  his  Revolutionary  service  ended.  He  was 
the  first  postmaster  of  Dover,  and  held  the  office  several 
years.  He  was  a  member  of  the  State  Convention  in 
1778,  which  adopted  the  Constitution  of  the  United 
States,  and  was  one  of  the  founders  of  the  New  Hamp- 
shire Medical  Society. 

Dr.  Samuel  Wigglesworth  was  born  April  25,  1734, 
and  graduated  from  Harvard'  College  in  1752.  He  was 
Surgeon  in  Colonel  Waldron's  regiment  in  1775-1776; 
Surgeon  in  Colonel  Wingate's  regiment  in  1776-1777. 

Among  the  early  physicians  of  Portsmouth  were  Na- 
thaniel Rogers,  Nathaniel  Sargent,  Clement  Jackson,  Hall 
Jackson,  Joshua  Brackett,  and  Ammi  R.  Cutter. 


STATE  BUILDERS 

All  of  the  above  were  men  of  distinction  and  some  of 
renown. 

Dr.  Nathaniel  Rogers  was  born  in  1700;  graduated 
from  Harvard  College  in  1717.  Among  his  civil  services 
was  that  of  Representative  to  the  Legislature  and  Speaker 
of  the  House. 

Dr.  Nathaniel  Sargent  graduated  from  Harvard  Col- 
lege in  1717.  He  was  a  practitioner  of  renown. 

Dr.  Clement  Jackson  was  one  of  the  most  eminent 
physicians  of  Portsmouth  for  many  years.  His  practice 
was  extensive.  He  died  in  1788,  at  the  age  of  83. 

Dr.  Hall  Jackson,  a  son  of  Dr.  Clement  Jackson,  was 
born  in  Portsmouth  about  1739;  completed  his  medical 
education  in  the  hospitals'  of  London,  and  afterwards 
became  distinguished  in  his  profession.  Several  hospitals 
for  inoculating  smallpox  were  placed  in  his  charge.  He 
received  an  honorary  degree  of  M.  D.  from  Harvard;  was 
one  of  the  charter  members  of  the  New  Hampshire  Med- 
ical Society.  He  was  an  ardent  patriot,  taking  personal 
command  of  an  artillery  company  having  three  brass 
cannon. 

Dr.  Joshua  Brackett  was  born  in  Greenland  May,  1733; 
graduated  from  Harvard  College  in  1752.  He  first  stud- 
ied theology,  afterwards  medicine.  His  ability  as  a  physi- 
cian was  recognized  to  the  extent  that  he  was  made  an 
honorary  member  of  the  Massachusetts  Medical  Society 
in  1783,  and  received  an  honorary  degree  from  Harvard 
in  1792.  He  was  first  Vice  President  of  the  New  Hamp- 
shire Medical  Society,  and  in  1793  was  elected  its  presi- 
dent. He  had  the  largest  medical  library  in  the  state, 
consisting  of  one  hundred  and  forty  volumes,  which  he 
presented  to  the  New  Hampshire  Medical  Society.  He 
was  appointed  judge  of  the  Maritime  Court  for  this  state 
at  the  time  of  the  Revolution,  and  held  that  office  until  the 
duties  of  it  were  transferred  to  the  District  Court.  He 
died  in  1802. 

158 


STATE  BUILDERS 

Dr.  Ammi  R.  Cutter  was  born  in  1/35;  graduated  from 
Harvard  College  in  1752.  After  the  completion  of  his 
medical  studies  he  was  appointed  surgeon  of  a  regiment 
raised  to  oppose  the  French  and  Indians,  and  continued 
with  his  regiment  on  the  frontier  until  they  were  or- 
dered to  Cape  Breton.  He  was  at  the  capture  of  Louis- 
burg  in  1758.  He  was  invited  to  accept  the  office  of 
Consul  under  the  Royal  Government,  but  declined  because 
it  would  interfere  with  his  professional  duties.  In  1777, 
he  assumed  charge  of  the  medical  department  of  the 
Northern  army,  with,  which  he  remained  until  the  sur- 
render of  General  Burgoyne.  He  was  delegate  to  the 
Convention  that  formed  the  Constitution  of  New  Hamp- 
shire. He  was  several  years  president  of  the  New  Hamp- 
shire Medical  Society. 

During  this  early  period  there  resided  at  Kingston 
Drs.  Thomas  Green,  Amos  Gale  and  Josiah  Bartlett. 

Thomas  Green  and  Amos  Gale  were  both  distinguished 
in  their  profession,  as  indeed  was  the  Gale  family,  on 
account  of  the  number  of  physicians  bearing  that  name. 

Josiah  Bartlett  was  not  only  a  distinguished  practi- 
tioner of  medicine,  but  was  even  more  distinguished  as 
a  statesman,  whose  first  thought  was  the  welfare  of 
the  province  and  the  state.  He  was  born  in  Kingston 
in  1729,  and  at  the  age  of  twenty-one  began  in 
Kingston,  where  he  became  one  of  the  foremost  prac- 
titioners of  the  state.  He  was  the  founder  of  the 
New  Hampshire  Medical  Society,  which  received  its 
charter  through  his  efforts  in  1791.  In  public  and 
political  life  he  exerted  a  great  influence  for  the  welfare 
of  the  state,  first  appearing  in  public  as  a  representa- 
tive to  the  legislature  of  the  province  of  New  Hamp- 
shire. He  was  a  member  of  the  committee  of  safety; 
was  chosen  one  of  the  delegates  to  the  general  con- 
gress in  Philadelphia  in  1744,  but  declined  election; 
the  following  year  he  was  appointed  to  command  a 

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regiment  by  the  first  provincial  congress,  of  which 
Dr.  Matthew  Thornton  was  president;  the  same  year  he 
was  chosen  to  the  continental  congress,  and  was  re- 
elected  the  following  year  and  signed  the  Declaration  of 
Independence;  in  1779,  was  appointed  chief  justice  of 
the  court  of  common  pleas;  in  1782,  was  promoted  to  be 
justice  of  the  superior  court,  and  in  1788,  made  chief  jus- 
tice of  the  state.  He  also  served  as  president  of  New 
Hampshire,  and  afterwards  was  elected  first  governor. 
He  was  a  great  man,  far-sighted,  and  thoroughly  trusted 
by  the  people.  His  influence  for  the  welfare  of  the  state 
was  second  to  no  man  living  during  that  trying  period. 

Ebenezer  Thompson  of  Durham,  born  in  1737  O.  S., 
through  civil  preferment,  left  the  practice  of  medicine 
for  the  service  of  the  state  and  country.  He  was  a  man 
of  marked  ability,  and  rose  step  by  step  through  various 
official  positions  to  that  of  judge  of  the  superior  court. 
During  the  Revolutionary  period  he  held  the  three  im- 
portant offices  of  councillor,  member  of  the  committee  of 
safety,  and  secretary  of  state.  In  1778,  he  was  chosen 
representative  to  the  continental  congress.  He  held  the 
position  of  special  justice  of  the  superior  court,  clerk  of 
the  court  of  common  pleas,  representative  to  the  general 
court,  justice  of  the  inferior  court  of  common  pleas,  and, 
finally,  justice  of  the  superior  court.  He  was  one  of  the 
presidential  electors  when  Washington  was  chosen 
president. 

In  Londonderry  there  resided  another  physician  of  note, 
and  a  patriot  whose  name,  like  that  of  Josiah  Bartlett, 
will  be  forever  perpetuated  in  the  history  of  the  country, 
Matthew  Thornton,  New  Hampshire's  other  signer  of 
the- Declaration  of  Independence.  He  was  born  in  Ire- 
land about  1714;  came  to  this  country  when  an  infant; 
received  an  academical  education;  studied  medicine  and 
commenced  practice  in  Londonderry,  where  he  acquired 
an  extensive  and  well  merited  reputation  as  a  physician 

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and  surgeon  as  well  as  the  distinction  of  being  an  ag- 
gressive and  public-spirited  patriot.  Dr.  Thornton  par- 
ticipated in  the  perils  of  the  expedition  against  Louis- 
burg  as  surgeon  of  the  New  Hampshire  division  of  the 
army.  At  the  beginning  of  the  Revolutionary  War  he 
held  the  rank  of  colonel  in  the  militia.  He  was  also 
commissioned  justice  of  the  peace  under  the  administra- 
tion of  Benning  Wentworth.  In  1775,  when  the  British 
government  was  dissolved  and  the  provincial  government 
formed  for  temporary  purposes,  he  was  appointed  first 
president.  In  1776,  he  was  elected  Speaker  of  the  general 
assembly,  and  was  appointed  by  the  house  of  representa- 
tives a  delegate  to  represent  the  state  of  New  Hampshire 
in  congress.  The  same  year  he  was  appointed  judge  of 
the  superior  court  of  New  Hampshire,  which  office  he 
held  till  1782.  He  had  previously  received  the  appoint- 
ment of  chief  justice  of  the  court  of  common  pleas. 
After  the  close  of  the  Revolution,  he  served  as  a  member 
of  the  general  court,  and  also  as  a  member  of  the  senate. 

Dr.  Isaac  Thorn  was  one  of  the  earlier  distinguished 
physicians  of  the  state.  Born  at  Windham  in  1746;  com- 
menced practice  in  that  town,  but  later  removed  to  Lon- 
donderry. He  was  prominent  in  public  affairs.  Aside 
from  minor  offices,  he  was  a  member  of  the  committee  of 
safety  during  the  Revolution;  was  justice  of  the  peace, 
and  the  first  postmaster  of  Londonderry,  and  one  of  the 
charter  members  of  the  New  Hampshire  Medical  Society. 

Another  physician  who  did  much  for  the  independence 
of  the  country  was  Henry  Dearborn,  who  was  born  in 
Hampton  in  1751,  and  settled  in  Nottingham  as  a  physi- 
cian in  1772.  Upon  the  news  of  the  Battle  of  Lexington 
he  marched  with  sixty  volunteers  to  the  scene  of  action; 
on  the  seventeenth  of  June  he  marched  to  Bunker  Hill 
with  his  company  under  Stark,  and  fought  most  bravely 
under  the  eye  of  that  general.  In  September  he  joined 
Arnold's  expedition  through  the  wilds  of  Maine  and 

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Canada.  In  the  assault  on  Quebec  he  was  taken  prisoner; 
was  exchanged  in  March,  1777,  and  appointed  Major  in 
Scannell's  regiment;  he  was  in  the  battle  of  Stillwater  and 
Saratoga,  and  fought  with  such  ability  as  to  be  noticed  in 
orders  by  General  Gates.  He  was  with  General  Sullivan 
in  his  expedition  against  the  Indians  in  1799,  and  was 
in  Yorktown  at  the  surrender  of  Cornwallis.  After  the 
war  he  settled  in  Maine,  where  he  was  marshal  by  ap- 
pointment of  Washington.  He  was  a  member  of  Con- 
gress two  terms;  secretary  of  war  under  Jefferson;  col- 
lector of  the  port  of  Boston;  in  1812  was  appointed  major 
general  in  the  army  of  the  United  States,  was  captured 
at  York  in  Canada,  and  Fort  George  at  the  mouth  of  the 
Niagara;  he  was  recalled  in  July,  1813,  put  in  command 
of  the  Military  District  of  New  York  City;  in  1822  he 
was  appointed  by  President  Monroe,  Minister  Plenipo- 
tentiary to  Portugal. 

Dr.  Moses  Nichols,  another  physician  prominent  in 
civil  and  military  life,  commenced  the  practice  of  medi- 
cine in  Amherst  about  1761;  served  as  representative  to 
the  general  court;  took  an  active  interest  in  the  popular 
cause,  and  in  1776  was  appointed  colonel  of  the  Fifth 
regiment.  He  commanded  the  right  wing  of  Stark's 
army  at  Bennington.  In  1778  he  was  with  General  Sul- 
livan in  Rhode  Island;  two  years  later  was  in  command 
of  the  regiment  at  West  Point  at  the  time  of  Arnold's 
treason.  At  the  close  of  the  war  he  was  appointed  Brig- 
adier-General of  the  Fourth  Brigade  of  the  New  Hamp- 
shire militia.  He  held  the  office  of  register  of  deeds  for 
Hillsborough  County  for  several  years. 

Rev.  James  Scales,  who  practised  medicine  as  well  as 
preached,  was  undoubtedly  the  first  practitioner  in  the 
territory  now  embraced  by  Merrimack  County.  He  re- 
sided in  Canterbury,  but  his  practice  extended  to  Hcp- 
kinton,  Rumford,  and  other  towns. 

Dr.   Ezra  Carter  was  probably  the  first  physician  to 

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settle  in  Concord,  locating  there  in  1740.  He  was  an  able 
physician  and  a  man  of  fine  character,  and  of  great  be- 
nevolence. 

The  limits  of  this  article  will  not  permit  biographical 
references  to  many  other  physicians  whose  influence  was 
strongly  felt  in  their  respective  communities  during  the 
more  trying  period  in  the  history  of  the  province  and  of 
the  state;  but  enough  has  been  shown  already  to  indicate 
the  immense  influence  that  was  exerted  for  the  public 
good  on  the  part  of  the  medical  prolession.  We  must, 
however,  make  mere  mention  of  a  few  others,  among 
which  was  William  Cogswell,  of  Atkinson,  who  rendered 
service  as  a  surgeon  during  the  Revolution. 

Benjamin  Page,  who  was  born  in  Kingston  in  1742; 
a  heroic  surgeon,  who  was  present  at  Bunker  Hill,  Ticon- 
deroga,  Bennington,  etc.  At  the  Battle  of  Bennington 
he  took  command  of  a  company  after  its  captain  was  dis- 
abled, and  won  especial  commendation  for  his  bravery. 

William  Page  practised  many  years  in  Charlestown; 
served  as  colonel  of  the  Militia;  member  of  the  general 
court  and  state  senator. 

Samuel  Tenney,  who  was  a  brave  and  accomplished 
physician  of  Exeter,  and  who,  when  the  war  broke  out, 
hastened  to  Bunker  Hill  and  arrived  in  season  to  assist 
the  wounded.  He  served  as  surgeon  in  the  Revolution, 
and  was  present  at  the  surrender  of  Burgoyne  and  Corn- 
wallis.  He  was  a  member  of  the  convention  for  forming 
the  state  constitution  in  1791;  in  1/93  was  appointed 
judge  of  probate  for  Rockingham  county,  which  posi- 
tion  he  held  till  1800  when  he  was  elected  to  congress 
and  served  three  terms.  He  was  a  member  of  various 
scientific  and  literary  societies,  and  contributed  valuable 
articles  to  the  press  in  favor  of  the  Federal  constitution, 
in  1788. 

George  Sparhawk  graduated  at  Harvard  in  1777,  and 
settled  at  Walpole.  He  was  a  man  recognized  for  his 

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ability  in  that  section  of  the  state.     He  was  twice  state 
councillor. 

These,  and  many  others  who  ought  to  be  named  but 
cannot  be  here,  but  reference  to  whom  may  be  found  in 
some  of  our  local  histories,  were  foremost  among  the 
men  who  defended  the  sparse  settlements  of  the  province 
against  the  relentless  savages  as  well  as  disease,  and  who 
largely  shaped  the  destinies  of  the  state.  The  interest 
and  influence  which  was  exerted  by  the  medical  profes- 
sion in  its  trying  provincial  period  and  early  statehood 
have  never  abated,  nor  has  the  profession  lessened  its  in- 
terest or  its  influence  in  the  welfare  of  the  commonwealth, 
even  to  the  present  time.  As  state  builders,  the  medical 
profession  must,  as  shown  by  history,  hold  a  rank  second 
to  that  of  no  other.  It  would  be  a  gigantic  task  to  go  over 
the  history  of  New  Hampshire  from  the  Revolution  to 
the  present  time,  and  show  to  what  extent  members  of 
the  medical  profession  have  figured  in  the  events  that 
have  transpired.  There  is  no  civil  or  political  office,  prob- 
ably, that  has  not  been  held  by  physicians,  from  a,  justice 
of  the  peace  to  a  United  States  senator.  The  State  legis- 
lature always  has  representatives  from  the  medical  pro- 
fession; numerous  physicians  have  been  elected  to  the 
United  States  Congress;  three,  Josiah  Bartlett,  David  L. 
Morrill,  and  Noah  Martin,  have  been  governors  of  the 
state;  many  have  served  their  state  and  country  in  a  mil- 
itary capacity. 

During  the  provincial  period,  the  great  majority  of  the 
practitioners  of  medicine  were  deficient  in  professional 
education,  through  lack  of  opportunity,  and  there  was  but 
little  general  intelligence  among  the  people  regarding 
medical  matters,  with  perhaps  a  few  exceptions,  ana 
these  indeed  were  notable.  The  early  practitioner  ob- 
tained his  medical  knowledge  from  reading  a  limited 
number  of  medical  works,  from  the  standpoint  of  to-day 
crude  and  rudimentary,  and  a  few  months'  observation  of 

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disease  and  its  treatment  under  the  tutorship  of  a  prac- 
tising physician.  There  were  some  who  did  not  serve  this 
superficial  term  of  study  and  observation,  but  with  very 
limited  and  doubtful  knowledge  secured  from  one  or  two 
books,  assumed  the  title  of  "Dr."  with  a  conscientious 
belief  that  they  were  performing  a  public  duty  as  well  as 
a  humanitarian  service.  Nevertheless,  the  doctor  was  a 
man  of  great  consequence  in  the  community,  second  only 
to  the  minister.  This  exalted  and  dignified  position  in 
the  estimation  of  the  people  probably  arose,  not  so  much 
from  his  medical  attainments  as  from  the  fact  that  he  was 
usually  a  man  of  great  strength  of  character,  interested 
in  all  public  affairs,  and  a  natural  leader.  This  is  evi- 
denced by  the  large  number  of  eminent  men  of  that  pe- 
riod who  were  from  the  ranks  of  the  profession.  "A 
man  godly  and  forward  to  do  much  good,  being  much 
missed  after  his  death,"  the  epitaph  which  Bradford  gave 
to  Dr.  Samuel  Fuller,  the  first  physician  to  come  to  New 
England,  was  true  of  many  of  the  earlier  physicians  of 
New  Hampshire. 

In  personal  appearance  the  old  time  doctor  was  con- 
spicuous. His  dress  also  indicated  the  importance  of  his 
position  in  the  community.  He  wore  a  deep,  broad- 
skirted  frock  coat,  long  established  by  custom,  and  it 
W7as  generally  ornamented  with  various  trimmings,  occa- 
sionally with  gold  lace;  a  long  waistcoat,  deep-pocketed 
with  loose  swinging  flaps,  hung  over  breeches  or  small 
clothes;  hose,  buckle  shoes,  frills  and  cuffs,  neck-bands, 
and  ruffled  shirt  front;  a  felt  hat,  generally  three-cor- 
nered, completed  the  dress. 

His  cocked  hat,  full  wig,  and  ever-present  cane  were 
awe-inspiring,  to  say  nothing  of  his  saddle  bags,  stuffed 
with  strange  and  nauseating  drugs  which  he  lavishly 
dispensed  to  his  patients. 

Carriages  were  almost  unknown  before  the  Revolution. 

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Travelling  was  accomplished  on  horseback,  the  doctor 
carrying  his  medicines  in  saddle  bags. 

During  the  colonial  and  provincial  period,  the  fees  or 
charges  for  medical  services  were  exceedingly  low,  and 
the  physicians  were  poorly  paid,  as  the  early  settlers  had 
practically  nothing  with  which  to  pay  their  bills  except 
the  produce  of  their  farms.  The  Day  Book  of  the  dis- 
tinguished signer  of  the  Declaration  of  Independence, 
Dr.  Josiah  Bartlett,  kept  when  he  was  in  the  practice  of 
medicine,  between  1765  and  1768,  embracing  312  pages, 
nearly  all  in  his  own  handwriting,  presents  many  entries 
that  are  interesting,  instructive,  and  very  unique  from  our 
present  standpoint.  He  received  all  sorts  of  produce  to 
pay  the  small  amounts  charged  for  services  rendered. 
Credits  of  "oats,"  "merchantable  boards,"  "pig  pork," 
"hog's  fat,"  as  well  as  about  all  other  kinds  of  farm 
produce.  Sometimes  he  took  a  note,  seldom  cash. 

It  may  be  said  that,  following  the  Revolution  and  those 
trying  times  in  which  the  public  interest  was  centred  al- 
most -solely  in  civil,  political  and  military  affairs,  medical 
men  found  time  and  opportunity  to  turn  their  attention 
to  the  development  of  the  profession  itself. 

In  1791,  through  the  efforts  of  Josiah  Bartlett,  then 
governor  of  the  state,  the  New  Hampshire  Medical  So- 
ciety was  chartered,  being  the  fourth  state  in  the  union 
to  form  a  medical  society,  New  Jersey,  Delaware,  and 
Massachusetts  preceding  New  Hampshire  in  making  an 
organization  of  this  kind. 

Its  charter  members  consisted  of  nineteen  physicians, 
noted  for  their  ability  and  interest  in  public  affairs,  most 
of  whom  have  been  mentioned  above. 

The  first  meeting  of  this  society  was  held  May  4,  1791, 
at  Exeter.  Ten  of  its  charter  members  were  present, 
among  whom  may  be  mentioned  John  Rogers,  of  Plym- 
outh, who  made  the  journey  through  the  forest  on  horse- 
back, and  which  attendance  required  several  days,  to  say 

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nothing  about  the  physical  hardship  attendant  on  such 
a  trip. 

This  society,  although  its  meetings  were  small  in  its 
earlier  days,  and  sometimes  there  was  no  quorum  pres- 
ent, through  the  efforts  of  a  few  determined  and  energetic 
physicians,  it  never  lost  its  organization,  and  has  grown 
to  be  a  large  and  strong  association,  the  annual  transac- 
tions of  which  now  constitute  a  volume  of  nearly  400 
pages.  Its  records  are  intact  and  well  preserved  from 
the  date  of  its  first  meeting  to  the  present  time.  In  its 
ranks  have  been  a  great  majority  of  the  best  educated  and 
most  reputable  physicians  of  the  state,  many  of  whom 
have  left  a  proud  and  enviable  record  in  their  profession, 
as  well  as  in  civil  life. 

The  Xew  Hampshire  Medical  Society,  in  its  devotion 
to  the  interests  of  the  profession,  organized  district  so- 
cieties, two  of  which,  called  the  "Eastern"  and  the  ''West- 
ern," being  organized  in  1/92.  The  Centre  District  Med- 
ical Society  was  constituted  in  1807;  the  Strafford  Dis- 
trict Medical  Society,  in  1811 ;  the  Western  District  Med- 
ical Society,  in  1815;  the  Southern  District  Medical  So- 
ciety, in  1816;  Graf  ton  County  District  Medical  Society, 
in  1820;  the  Eastern  District  Medical  Society  reorgan- 
ized in  1823;  the  Rockingham  County  Society  organ- 
ized in  1824;  Manchester  Medical  Society,  in  1840;  Car- 
roll County  Society,  in  1848,  and  numerous  local  medical 
societies  from  time  to  time  since.  The  Portsmouth 
Medical  Association  was  incorporated  in  1819;  the  White 
Mountains  Medical  Society  in  1821;  the  Connecticut 
River  Valley  Medical  Association  in  1876. 

The  Xew  Hampshire  Homeopathic  Society  was  char- 
tered in  1852,  and  the  Xew  Hampshire  Botanic  Society, 
chartered  in  1848,  changed  to  X'ew  Hampshire  Eclectic 
Society  in  1881,  still  maintain  their  organizations. 

Prior  to  the  Revolution,  there  were  but  two  medical 
schools  in  this  country,  the  Medical  Department  of  the 

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STATE  BUILDERS 

University  of  Pennsylvania,  founded  in  1764,  and  a  med- 
ical school  established  in  New  York  in  1768,  and  which 
was  abandoned  within  a  few  years. 

The  Harvard  Medical  School  was  established  in  1783, 
following  which  was  the  founding  of  the  medical  depart- 
ment of  Dartmouth  College  by  Dr.  Nathaniel  Smith,  in 
1797,  during  which  year  he  delivered,  unassisted,  a  course 
of  medical  lectures  in  Dartmouth  Hall.  The  following 
year  he  was  assisted  by  Dr.  Lyman  Spaulding,  who  lec- 
tured on  chemistry.  During  the  first  twelve  years  of  the 
school's  existence,  forty-five  men  received  the  degree 
of  M.  B.  At  this  period  the  school  was  without  funds,  and 
was  supported  by  the  fees  paid  by  the  students;  but  Dr. 
Smith  received  from  the  college  for  apparatus,  chemi- 
cals, etc.,  about  $600  during  that  period.  In  1803  the 
legislature  appropriated  $600  for  the  same  purpose.  In 
1809,  the  legislature  appropriated  $3,450  for  the  erec- 
tion of  a  medical  school  building,  and  in  1812  a  further 
sum  of  about  $1,200  to  complete  the  payment  of  the 
building.  Up  to  this  time  the  great  work  of  establishing 
a  medical  school  for  the  State  of  New  Hampshire  de- 
volved chiefly,  in  fact  almost  entirely,  upon  Dr.  Smith, 
and  it  was  through  his  constant  and  laborious  efforts  in 
behalf  of  medical  education  that  this  undertaking  became 
a  success.  So  marked  was  his  executive  ability  in  this 
particular  work  that,  in  1812,  he  was  called  to  New 
Haven,  Connecticut,  to  establish  a  Yale  Medical  School, 
and  he  severed  connection  from  Dartmouth  two  years 
later. 

Among  the  earlier  instructors  in  the  Dartmouth  medi- 
cal school  was  Dr.  Cyrus  Perkins,  who  became  Professor 
of  anatomy  and  surgery  in  1810.  He  was  succeeded  by 
Usher  Parsons  in  1819.  In  1814  Reuben  D.  Muzzey 
succeeded  Nathan  Smith  in  the  chair  of  theory  and  prac- 
tice. Among  other  earlier  instructors  was  Daniel  Oliver, 

1 68 


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John  Delamater,  Rufus  Graves,  and  James  Freeman 
Dana. 

The  list  of  instructors  who  have  held  chairs  of  profes- 
sorships since  the  earlier  days  of  the  institution,  contains 
names  of  many  able  physicians  and  surgeons,  too  many 
to  even  mention  in  this  article.  It  is  a  matter  of  history 
that  this  school  has  kept  pace  with  the  scientific  advance- 
ment of  medicine,  and  to-day  stands  as  one  of  the  most 
reputable  medical  colleges  in  the  country,  a  fact  in  which 
not  only  the  medical  profession  but  the  people  of  New 
Hampshire  should  take  pride. 

Among  some  who  became  famous  as  surgeons  we  must 
mention  Dr.  Nathan  Smith,  who  was  born  in  1762  and 
died  in  1828.  He  began  practice  in  1787  at  Cornish; 
afterwards  attended  the  medical  department  of  Harvard, 
and  received  the  degree  of  M.  D.  in  1790.  Four  years 
later  he  visited  some  of  the  European  hospitals.  His 
interest  in  medical  education  has  already  been  mentioned, 
in  the  founding  of  Dartmouth,  Yale  and  Bowdoin  medi- 
cal schools.  Dr.  Smith  was  famous  in  surgery,  in  origi- 
nating new  methods  in  operations.  He  performed  many 
difficult  operations,  some  of  which  were  to  him  entirely 
new. 

Reuben  D.  Muzzey  was  born  in  1780,  and  died  in  1866. 
He  was  a  pupil  of  Dr.  Nathan  Smith.  He  held  a  profes- 
sorship in  the  Dartmouth  medical  school  for  many  years, 
as  well  as  in  some  other  medical  schools,  while  professor- 
ships were  tendered  him  from  several  prominent  schools 
of  medicine.  He  founded  the  Miami  medical  school  of 
Cincinnati.  One  surgical  operation  which  gave  him  great 
fame  both  at  home  and  abroad  was  the  successful  ligation 
of  both  carotid  arteries.  He  was  a  bold  and  successful 
operator,  and  as  such  was  duly  recognized.  He  received 
the  honorary  degree  of  A.  M.  from  Harvard,  and  LL.  D. 
from  Dartmouth. 

Amos  Twitchell  was  another  of  New  Hampshire's 

169 


STATE  BUILDERS 

famous  surgeons.  He  was  born  in  Dublin  in  1781,  and 
died  in  Keene  in  1850.  He  was  a  man  of  strong  indi- 
vidual opinions,  abhorred  intemperance,  was  abstemious 
in  his  diet,  and  a  bold  and  highly  successful  surgeon.  He 
performed  the  operation  of  tying  the  right  carotid  artery 
successfully  in  1807,  eight  months  prior  to  the  celebrated 
case  of  Sir  Ashley  Cooper,  who  was  often,  though  erro- 
neously, credited  with  priority  in  this  operation. 

William  Perry  of  Exeter  was  another  prominent  New 
Hampshire  surgeon,  who  was  born  in  1788  and  died  in 
1887, — almost  a  centenarian.  He  may  be  said,  also,  to 
have  been  the  founder  of  the  New  Hampshire  Asylum 
for  the  Insane. 

Charles  A.  Cheever,  Josiah  Crosby,  Dixi  Crosby,  Wil- 
liam Buck,  E.  R.  Peaslee,  Thomas  R.  Crosby,  Alonzo 
F.  Carr,  Albert  H.  Crosby,  Alpheus  B.  Crosby,  George 
A.  Crosby  and  many  others  might  be  named  who  have 
achieved  reputations  as  surgeons. 

For  obvious  reasons  we  shall  not  mention  the  many 
able  physicians  and  skilful  surgeons  which  are  found  in 
the  medical  profession  in  New  Hampshire  to-day.  They 
are  well  known  and  honored  in  their  respective  communi- 
ties. In  no  profession,  science,  or  art,  has  there  been  so 
great  progress  made  in  recent  years  as  in  medicine.  The 
old  theories  of  the  origin  of  disease  have  been  displaced 
by  the  discovery  of  the  true  cause,  of  many  maladies  that 
afflict-  mankind.  The  germ  theory,  which  has  been 
proven  beyond  all  controversy,  has  led  to  the  scientific 
management  of  such  diseases  not  only  for  the  cure  of  the 
patient,  but  for  the  protection  of  the  country.  We  know 
the  particular  germ  or  parasitic  fungus  which  causes 
consumption,  the  plague,  leprosy,  cholera,  malaria,  diph- 
theria, typhoid  fever,  and  numerous  other  diseases;  and 
knowing  these  facts,  the  profession,  with  the  aid  of  the 
state  in  the  sanitary  administration  of  affairs,  is  able  to 
cope  with  many  of  these  diseases  so  successfully  as  to 

170 


STATE  BUILDERS 

render  such  epidemics  as  frequently  decimated  entire 
communities  in  olden  times,  impossible. 

In  the  domain  of  surgery  the  advancement  would  seem 
to  be  greater,  if  possible.  By  reason  of  modern  antisep- 
tics, the  surgeon  is  able  to  perform  with  comparatively 
little  danger  to  the  patient,  the  most  brilliant  operations, 
such  as  once  would  not  have  been  tolerated,  and  would 
have  been  in  almost  every  instance  fatal.  Scientific  ap- 
paratus of  the  most  delicate  kind  has  been  devised  as  an 
aid  in  the  diagnosis  of  disease,  aside  from  the  marvellous 
revelations  of  the  microscope,  and  to  surgery  is  being 
applied  the  astonishing  revelations  of  the  X  ray,  as  well 
as  the  most  ingenious  mechanical  instruments  and  meth- 
ods, for  the  saving  of  life  and  limb.  The  crowning  of 
Edward  VII.,  after  his  recovery  from  an  operation  that 
once  would  have  been  fatal,  was  the  coronation  of  modern 
antiseptic  surgery. 

There  is  little  danger  of  saying  too  much  to  the  honor 
of  the  medical  profession  of  New  Hampshire  in  any  of 
the  functions  of  life,  social,  civil,  military  and  profes- 
sional. It  has  been  tried  by  severest  tests  from  the  re- 
motest colonial  period  to  the  present  time,  and  has  ever 
been  found  a  solid  phalanx,  with  its  front  in  the  line  of 
duty,  in  whatever  capacity  that  may  have  been;  and,  as 
builders  of  our  rugged  commonwealth,  the  profession 
has  a  record  upon  which  nothing  but  praise  and  honor  can 
be  bestowed. 


171 


NEW  HAMPSHIRE  SAVINGS   BANKS 

BY  JAMES  O.  LYFORD 

Seven  years  after  the  first  savings  bank  was  chartered 
in  this  country  two  were  incorporated  in  New  Hamp- 
shire. The  Portsmouth  Savings  Bank  of  Portsmouth 
and  the  Savings  Bank  of  the  County  of  Strafford  at 
Dover  are  the  ninth  and  tenth  savings  banks  in  the  United 
vStates  in  chronological  order  of  incorporation.  They 
are  now  in  their  eightieth  year  and  are  among  the  large 
and  prosperous  savings  banks  of  New  England.  The 
legislative  records  contain  meagre  accounts  of  their  birth 
and  the  newspapers  of  the  day  were  silent  on  the  subject 
of  their  organization.  As  early  as  1819  an  attempt  was 
made  to  secure  a  charter  of  a  savings  banks  at  Ports- 
mouth, a  petition  for  that  purpose  being  presented  to  the 
legislature  from  the  citizens  of  that  town,  then  the  most 
important  town  of  the  state.  A  bill  was  later  introduced 
embodying  the  prayer  of  the  petition,  and,  while  it  passed 
the  house  of  representatives  without  opposition,  it  was 
defeated  in  the  senate.  Interest  in  the  subject  does  not 
appear  to  have  been  very  marked,  as  four  years  elapsed 
before  another  attempt  was  made  to  secure  a  charter. 
At  the  session  of  the  legislature  in  1823  a  second  petition 
for  a  savings  bank  at  Portsmouth  was  presented.  The 
bill  prepared  in  response  to  this  petition  passed  both 
houses  and  was  signed  by  the  governor  without  occasion- 
ing any  public  discussion.  At  the  same  session  the  Sav- 
ings Bank  of  the  County  of  Strafford  was  chartered  upon 

172 


STATE  BUILDERS 

petition  of  citizens  of  Dover,  Somersworth  and  other 
towns. 

The  same  motive  which  elsewhere  early  in  the  nine- 
teenth century  prompted  the  organization  of  savings 
banks  stimulated  philanthropic  and  public-spirited  citizens 
of  New  Hampshire  to  this  worthy  undertaking.  It  was 
to  prevent  the  spread  of  pauperism  by  inducing  me- 
chanics, operatives  in  factories  and  others  to  lay  by  in 
time  of  business  prosperity  and  active  employment  some 
part  of  their  earnings  for  accumulation  against  a  time  of 
adversity.  As  set  forth  in  one  of  the  early  petitions  to 
the  New  Hampshire  legislature,  the  petitioners  say  that 
they  "are  of  opinion  that  the  prevention  of  pauperism  is 
a  duty  more  incumbent  on  society  than  relieving  it, — that 
it  is  a  greater  benefit  to  individuals  and  to  the  commu- 
nity." Being  a  philanthropic  movement,  the  chartering 
of  savings  banks  had  only  to  overcome  the  scepticism  of 
their  success  to  secure  legislative  action,  and  little  was 
it  dreamed  by  even  the  projectors  that  savings  banks  were 
ever  to  become  an  important  factor  in  the  business  world 
and  that  from  the  accumulations  of  wage  earners  would 
come  capital  for  the  development  of  the  state  and  for  the 
promotion  of  enterprises  in  the  West,  then  an  unknown 
and  uninhabited  country. 

No  safeguards  were  thrown  around  these  institutions, 
the  provisions  of  the  charters  being  very  general  in  their 
character.  The  management  was  left  untrammeled  to  the 
trustees,  who  were  expected  to  care  for  the  funds  placed 
in  their  charge  without  compensation  as  a  duty  they  owed 
to  their  less  experienced  fellow-citizens.  It  was  years 
afterwards  before  intelligent  supervision  was  exercised 
over  savings  banks,  and  for  nearly  three-quarters  of  a 
century  little  restriction  was  placed  upon  the  character  of 
their  investments.  It  was  nearly  forty  years  after  these 
first  New  Hampshire  savings  banks  were  chartered  be- 
fore the  total  deposits  of  the  savings  banks  of.  the  state 


STATE  BUILDERS 

equalled  the  present  deposits  of  the  Strafford  County 
Savings  Bank.  The  increase  in  these  institutions  and  their 
growth  in  deposits  were  slow  for  half  a  century,  and  it 
was  after  the  Civil  War  before  their  value  was  fully  ap- 
preciated by  the  people.  In  1850  there  were  but  twelve 
savings  banks  in  the  state  and  one  million  six  hundred 
thousand  dollars  in  deposits  distributed  among  thirteen 
thousand  depositors,  or  one  depositor  to  about  every 
twenty-five  inhabitants.  To-day  the  ratio  of  depositors 
to  inhabitants  is  about  one  in  three,'  and  the  total  de- 
posits in  all  savings  institutions  of  the  state  is  $54,621,- 
362.40. 

The  first  savings  banks  were  mutual  savings  banks  in 
which  the  depositors  alone  shared  in  whatever  profits 
were  made  from  the  investments  of  their  funds.  The  in- 
corporators  annually  chose  a  board  of  trustees,  to  whom 
was  committed  the  management  of  the  bank.  The  first 
charters  were  perpetual.  After  ten  years  some  charters 
were  limited  to  twenty  years,  to  be  renewed  upon  expira- 
tion by  the  legislature,  but  the  practice  was  not  uniform, 
and  in  1883  the  legislature  made  all  charters  of  savings 
banks  perpetual.  In  1871  a  new  class  of  savings  banks 
known  as  "guaranty  savings  banks"  began  to  be  char- 
tered. These  provided  for  a  permanent  guaranty  fund 
which  was  owned  by  the  guaranty  fund  holders  who  were 
the  stockholders  of  the  bank.  This  guaranty  fund  must 
always  equal  10  per  cent  of  the  deposits,  and,  if  at  any 
time  it  became  impaired  by  losses,  must  be  made  up  by 
the  stockholders  or  the  bank  closed.  The  management  of 
these  guaranty  savings  banks  was  in  the  hands  of  the 
stockholders,  who  chose  the  trustees  and  who  divided 
among  themselves  all  profits  above  a  rate  of  interest  guar- 
anteed to  the  depositors.  This  rate  of  interest  to  be  paid 
to  the  depositors  was  fixed  in  the  charters.  In  the  mutual 
savings  banks  there  is  no  guaranteed  rate  of  interest,  the 
trustees  determining  the  annual  or  semi-annual  dividends 


STATE  BUILDERS 

and  voting  extra  dividends  occasionally  from  any  accu- 
mulated surplus.  In  1885  a  charter  was  granted  for  the 
New  Hampshire  Trust  Company,  the  beginning  of  a 
series  of  charters  for  similar  institutions  called  trust  com- 
panies, banking  companies,  loan  and  banking  companies, 
etc.,  the  general  character  of  whose  provisions  was  broad 
and  indefinite.  A  claim  was  successfully  made  that  these 
charters  authorize  the  transaction  of  a  savings  bank  busi- 
ness in  connection  with  the  other  business  of  the  com- 
pany. In  1891  they  were  given  recognition  as  savings 
institutions  by  the  legislature  enacting  a  law  requiring 
them  to  create  a  separate  department  of  their  savings  de- 
posits and  making  that  department  amenable  to  the  sav- 
ings bank  laws. 

Thus  the  state  of  Xew  Hampshire  has  at  the  present 
time  mutual  savings  banks,  guaranty  savings  banks,  and 
the  savings  bank  departments  of  trust  companies.  There 
are  forty-five  mutual  savings  banks,  nine  guaranty  sav- 
ings banks  and  seven  trust  companies  with  savings  bank 
departments.  The  deposits  of  this  last  class  are  $2,650,- 
915.07. 

The  history  of  the  growth  of  the  savings  banks  of  Xew 
Hampshire  is  richer  in  experience  than  that  of  savings 
banks  in  some  other  Xew  England  States,  owing 
to  the  fact  that  for  years  there  was  little  restraint 
placed  upon  the  trustees,  and  until  well  into  the  eighties 
the  state  supervision  was  but  little  more  than  the  moral 
influence  exerted  by  the  bank  commissioners.  As  regards 
the  integrity  of  savings  bank  officials,  Xe\v  Hampshire 
will  compare  most  favorably  with  any  other  state,  the 
defalcations  of  trusted  officers  being  very  rare.  The 
troubles  of  the  savings  banks  have  arisen  mainly  from 
unfortunate  investments  and  lack  of  intelligent  manage- 
ment. The  third  savings  bank  chartered  in  the  state, 
that  at  Exeter,  was  the  first  to  get  into  difficulty.  It  was 
chartered  in  1828,  and  thirteen  years  later,  owing  to  its 


STATE  BUILDERS 

embarrassments,  the  legislature  undertook  to  intervene 
and  authorize  the  governor  to  appoint  trustees  to  take 
possession  of  the  bank  and  close  up  its  affairs,  but  the 
court  interfered  and  left  the  corporate  trustees  to  dispose 
of  the  property  of  the  bank  and  pay  the  proceeds  to<  the 
depositors. 

The  failure  of  the  Exeter  Bank  led  to  an  act  by  the 
legislature  in  1847  directing  the  commissioners  of  the 
state,  or  discount,  banks  to  make  an  annual  examination 
of  the  savings  banks,  and  from  this  time  forward  the 
commissioners  made  reports  of  these  examinations  first 
to  the  legislature  and  afterwards  to  the  governor  and 
council.  These  examinations  were  for  a  long  time  merely 
formal.  The  state  banks  largely  engrossed  the  attention 
of  the  commissioners  until  these  were  superseded  by  na- 
tional banks  during  the  Civil  War.  Savings  bank  officers 
for  many  years  regarded  the  work  of  the  commissioners, 
superficial  as  it  was,  as  an  unnecessary  interference  with 
their  business.  The  commissioners  were  without  author- 
ity to  enforce  their  recommendations,  and  the  public 
had  little  knowledge  of  them  excepting  in  time 
of  bank  failures,  when  they  came  in  for  very  full 
and  oftentimes  unwarranted  criticism.  They  were 
paid  directly  by  the  banks  they  examined  until  1883, 
and  their  appointments  were  frequently  but  for  a  single 
term.  It  was  a  number  of  years  after  the  savings  banks 
had  become  important  factors  in  the  business  world  be- 
fore the  value  of  state  supervision  was  appreciated  by  the 
people  of  the  state  and  their  representatives  in  the  legisla- 
ture. The  bank  commission  dates  back  to  1837,  although 
its  examinations  of  savings  banks  did  not  begin  until  ten 
years  later,  but  it  was  fifty  years  before  its  work  was  rec- 
ognized as  worthy  of  public  support.  In  1888  the  reports 
of  the  bank  commissioners,  because  of  their  completeness, 
began  to  attract  attention,  not  only  in  the  state  but  out- 
side, and  in  1889  through  the  efforts  of  the  commission- 

176 


STATE  BUILDERS 

ers  a  continuing  commission  was  created  by  the  legisla- 
ture with  a  board  of  three  commissioners,  whose  terms 
were  three  years,  the  first  appointments  being  made  so 
that  the  term  of  only  one  commissioner  would  expire  in 
any  given  year. 

From  this  time  dates  the  effective  work  of  the  com- 
mission. It  soon  acquired  the  confidence  of  savings  bank 
officers,  who  cheerfully  co-operated  with  the  commis- 
sioners in  their  examinations  and  welcomed  their  sug- 
gestions. Together  they  wrought  great  improvements 
in  the  management  of  these  institutions,  especially  of  the 
smaller  savings  banks.  In  1895  the  election  of  the  chair- 
man of  the  board  to  the  legislature  resulted  in  legislation 
for  the  relief  of  the  banks  from  burdensome  taxation  and 
the  passage  of  laws  for  the  government  of  these  institu- 
tions and  regulating  their  investments.  With  some  mod- 
ifications these  statutes  remained  the  basis  of  the  present 
work  of  the  commission  in  their  supervision  of  the  banks. 

Although  the  law  prescribing  the  investments  of  sav- 
ings banks  dates  only  from  1895,  not  a  few  attempts 
were  made  earlier  to  have  the  legislature  act  upon  this 
subject.  In  1869,  when  the  deposits  had  reached  sixteen 
million  dollars  and  the  number  of  banks  thirty-eight,  the 
legislature  passed  a  law  requiring  one-half  the  deposits  of 
each  savings  bank  to  be  invested  within  the  state.  This 
statute  gave  no  end  of  trouble  to  both  banks  and  the 
commissioners.  It  was  burdensome  for  the  large  banks 
to  comply  with  its  provisions  and  the  commissioners  hes- 
itated to  apply  to  the  courts  to  enforce  it  against  insti- 
tutions whose  soundness  was  unquestioned.  The  banks 
most  frequently  violating  the  law  were  the  most  pros- 
perous of  the  state.  Finally  by  tacit  agreement  both 
banks  and  commissioners  ignored  the  statute. 

In  1874  a  law  was  passed  forbidding  savings  banks  to 
invest  any  part  of  their  deposits  in  the  stock  of  any  rail- 
road or  manufacturing  corporation. 

177 


STATE  BUILDERS 

In  1 88 1  both  these  acts  were  repealed  and  a  law  was 
passed  prohibiting  any  savings  bank  from  loaning  to  any 
person  or  corporation,  firm  and  its  individual  members, 
an  amount  in  excess  of  ten  per  cent  of  its  deposits  and 
accumulations,  or  to  purchase  or  hold  by  way  of  invest- 
ment or  as  security  for  loans  the  stocks  and  bonds  of  any 
corporation  in  excess  of  such  ten  per  cent.  For  the  next 
decade  this  was  the  only  restriction  as  to  the  character 
of  savings  bank  investments. 

Before  the  repeal  of  the  statute  requiring  one-half  of 
the  investments  of  savings  banks  to  be  made  within  the 
state  some  of  the  savings  banks  had  invested  largely  in 
the  growing  West.  Farm  loans  were  then  an  attractive 
investment,  promptly  paying  large  rates  of  interest  and 
generally  reduced  or  paid  at  maturity.  The  prosperity 
of  those  banks  which  had  taken  large  amounts  of  these 
loans,  shown  in  increased  dividends  and  increased  de- 
posits, induced  others  to  invest  in  that  field.  The  dis- 
crimination in  selecting  loans  by  those  first  taking  this 
class  of  investments  was  not  followed  by  others  who  later 
invested  in  the  West.  So  successful  had  been  both  banks 
and  individuals  in  their  early  Western  investments  that 
almost  any  Western  enterprise  could  be  floated  in  the 
East  late  in  the  eighties.  The  investments  extended  from 
farm  loans  in  well  established  sections  in  the  West  to  all 
sections  and  to  all  kinds  of  enterprises.  With  the  repeal 
in  1881  of  the  statute  confining  one-half  the  investments 
of  savings  banks  to  New  Hampshire,  the  trustees 
promptly  enlarged  their  investments  in  the  West,  until,  in 
1890,  with  few  exceptions,  the  banks  had  the  greater 
part  of  their  deposits  invested  in  the  West.  Without 
avail  the  commissioners  called  attention  to  the  danger  of 
such  indiscriminate  investment.  Deposits  were  rapidly 
increasing.  The  banks  were  paying  larger  dividends  than 
those  of  neighboring  states,  and  a  tax  rate  in  excess  of 
that  of  any  New  England  state  was  easily  met.  In  1893 

178 


STATE  BUILDERS 

the  volume  of  deposits  aggregated  nearly  seventy-five 
million  dollars,  ranking  New  Hampshire  as  the  fifth  state 
in  the  Union  in  the  amount  of  her  deposits.  These  de- 
posits came  in  part  from  ether  states,  attracted  by  the 
rate  of  dividends  paid  by  the  New  Hampshire  banks,  as 
was  subsequently  shown  when  conservatism  influenced 
trustees  to  reduce  the  dividend  rate  and  these  deposits 
were  the  first  withdrawn. 

Considerable  defaults  in  payments  of  interest  and  prin- 
cipal of  \Yestern  investments  began  as  early  as  1888,  in- 
dicative of  what  might  be  expected,  but  it  was  not  until 
1891  that  the  legislature  could  be  induced  to  act,  and  then 
only  through  a  commission  authorized  to  revise  the  stat- 
utes of  the  state.  A  tentative  measure  to  limit  invest- 
ments introduced  in  the  legislature  early  in  the  session 
was  indefinitely  postponed  by  the  house  on  the  report  of 
the  bank  committee  made  up  largely  of  banking  men. 
Later  the  commission  to  revise  the  statutes  was  induced 
by  the  bank  commissioners  to  incorporate  with  their 
amendments  of  the  statutes  one  prohibiting  certain  in- 
vestments of  savings  banks  and  limiting  others.  This 
measure,  although  far  from  being  what  the  times  de- 
manded, was  vigorously  opposed  by  bank  men  and  would 
have  been  defeated  had  it  been  separated  from  other 
amendments  to  the  public  statutes  which  the  legislature 
finally  adopted  as  an  entirety. 

For  four  years  more  no  attempt  at  legislation  affecting 
savings  bank  investments  was  made.  In  the  mean  time 
the  panic  of  1893  na(l  occurred,  and  with  it  came  the  sus- 
pension of  a  considerable  number  of  savings  institutions. 
When,  therefore,  measures  were  presented  to  the  legisla- 
ture of  1895  to  safeguard  the  interests  of  savings  dq)osit- 
ors,  they  were  passed  as  presented  with  little  material 
amendment.  The  wisdom  of  the  legislation  of  1895  has 
never  been  questioned.  The  statute  then  enacted  to  regu- 
late the  management  of  savings  banks  has  not  been 

179 


STATE  BUILDERS 

changed,  and  the  statute  relating  to  the  investments  of 
savings  banks  has  been  amended  only  to  meet  the  change 
of  character  of  such  investments.  The  principle  that  the 
legislature  should  prescribe  the  investments  of  savings 
banks  is  now  fully  recognized,  although  it  took  nearly 
three-quarters  of  a  century  to  convince  the  public  of  its 
necessity. 

Applications  for  charters  of  savings  banks  have  not 
always  been  granted.  At  times  the  legislature  has  been 
chary  in  incorporating  these  institutions,  and  in  1854  it 
authorized  the  union  of  two  existing  savings  banks,  be- 
ing of  opinion  that  public  interests  would  be  served  by 
such  consolidation.  Nothing  came  of  this  act,  as  the 
trustees  of  the  two  institutions  could  not  agree  upon  the 
terms  of  union.  Later  when  the  fever  of  Western  invest- 
ments was  at  its  height,  the  legislature  gave  an  affirmative 
reply  to  almost  every  application  for  a  charter  carrying 
with  it  savings  bank  privileges.  Some  of  these  charters 
were  never  used,  while  others  brought  only  financial  loss 
to  those  interested.  Since  1895  no  trust  company  char- 
ters with  savings  bank  privileges  have  been  granted,  and 
savings  bank  charters  proper  have  been  of  the  mutual 
kind. 

The  losses  to  savings  banks  on  account  of  Western 
investments  were  considerable,  and  the  most  critical  pe- 
riod in  the  history  of  New  Hampshire  savings  banks  was 
on  the  twelve  months  beginning  June,  1893.  A  number 
of  banking  institutions  were  put  in  the  hands  of  receiv- 
ers, while  nearly  all  the  savings  banks  in  the  state  took 
advantage  of  their  by-laws  requiring  notice  of  the  with- 
drawal of  deposits.  Other  suspensions  of  banks  followed 
in  1895  and  1896,  but  confidence  had  been  partially  re- 
stored, and  later  failures  occasioned  no  alarm  among  de- 
positors. The  passing  of  the  panic  of  1893  so  success- 
fully by  the  New  Hampshire  savings  banks,  intensified  as 
it  was  by  their  large  Western  interests,  is  still  a  marvel  as 

180 


STATE  BUILDERS 

we  look  back  upon  this  crisis,  and  it  is  a  tribute  to  the 
confidence  inspired  by  those  bank  officials  whose  institu- 
tions rode  out  the  storm.  The  large  loss  of  deposits 
occasioned  thereby  has  been  in  part  made  up,  and  the  in- 
crease in  deposits  thepast  three  years  has  been  normal  and 
healthy.  Too  many  savings  banks  existed  a  decade  ago. 
If  there  had  been  no  panic,  the  tendency  of  the  times 
would  have  materially  reduced  the  number,  giving  to  the 
public  fewer  yet  larger  institutions  and  therefore  better 
managed.  Improved  facilities  for  travel  and  mail  have 
obviated  the  necessity  which  once  existed  for  savings 
banks  in  small  communities,  and  experience  has  shown 
that  the  successful  management  of  these  institutions  must 
be  in  the  hands  of  men  in  daily  contact  with  the  business 
world.  The  future  of  the  New  Hampshire  savings  banks 
is  bright  with  promise.  Depositors  are  satisfied  with 
conservative  dividends.  Investments  are  more  carefully 
made.  Rivalry  of  these  institutions  in  seeking  deposits 
has  ceased  and  the  lessons  of  the  past  few  years  are  likely 
to  be  of  lasting  benefit. 


181 


INDUSTRIAL    NEW   HAMPSHIRE 
BY  G.  A.  CHENEY 

"Necessity  is  the  mother  of  invention,"  says  the  old 
adage,  but  the  history  of  mankind  down  through  the 
ages  does  not  warrant  the  conclusion  nor  justify  its  ac- 
ceptance. True  it  is  that  the  march  of  civilization,  since 
the  days  when  Moses  led  the  children  of  Israel  out  of 
the  land  of  Egypt  and  bondage,  has  been  the  march  of 
invention,  but  anterior  to  this  truth  and  proceeding  from 
it  is  the  still  greater  one  that  the  Genius  of  In- 
vention is  co-existent  with  an  intelligent  under- 
standing of  human  life  and  an  adherence  to  the 
laws  governing  it.  During  their  sojourn  of  forty 
years  in  the  Wilderness  the  children  of  Israel  by  their 
method  of  living  came  to  possess  not  only  healthy  bodies, 
but  sound  intellects,  because  of  their  compliance  with 
physiological  law.  They  triumphed  ;n  all  the  fields  of 
human  effort,  as  brilliantly  in  the  arts  and  sciences  as 
upon  the  field  of  battle.  They  were  the  chosen  of  God  by 
divine  decree,  but  through  the  agency  of  a  right  interpre- 
tation of  those  laws  that  govern  the  building  of  the  human 
body  and  the  development  of  the  intellect.  As  the  de- 
scendants of  the  Israelites  the  Rabbinic  races  adhering  to 
Levitical  law  have  ever  continued  a  mighty  factor  in  the 
progress  of  human  life.  Every  individual  of  both  sexes, 
regardless  of  social  condition  or  determined  aim  in  life, 
was  taught  to  work  with  head  and  hand.  Leaving  the 
Rabbinic  races  for  a  people  of  the  Christian  era  it  is  to 

182 


STATE  BUILDERS 

be  observed  that  the  Dutch,  as  the  inhabitants  of  the 
Netherlands  are  called,  have  won  the  grandest  of  successes 
in  all  things  that  are  essential  to  human  progress.  The 
very  land  that  is  their  home  was  won  from  the  sea, 
lagoon,  and  lake,  by  labor  that  continued  for  centuries. 
Though  their  country  was  small  in  area  and  themselves 
comparatively  few  in  numbers,  they  were  yet  a  mighty 
nation,  rich  in  agencies  and  means  for  the  betterment  of 
mankind  that  they  by  skill  and  research  had  either  in- 
vented or  discovered.  In  the  earlier  centuries  men  from 
Holland  went  to  England  and  introduced  various  of  the 
arts  and  sciences  and  stamped  their  individuality  upon  the 
national  character  and  life. 

Other  nations  -of  Europe,  past  and  present,  were  in 
need  of  the  agencies  of  progress,  enlightenment  and 
strength,  as  well  as  the  Dutch,  but  they  were  wanting  in 
that  deep  religious  spirit  that  dominated  and  permeated 
Dutch  life.  They  recognized  the  Divine  law  that  by 
work  alone  can  a  nation  succeed  and  become  strong  and 
enduring.  In  brief,  the  greatness  of  the  Dutch  character 
and  its  long  continued  strength  has  for  its  explanation 
the  fact  that  they  utilized  the  faculties  of  head  and  hand. 
They  toiled  and  thereby  gained  physical  strength,  and  as 
a  result  of  bodily  vigor  they  had  sound  minds,  and  these 
they  strengthened  and  developed  by  the  utilization,  of  the 
mental  faculties. 

Xot  only  did  Dutch  life  have  its  influence  upon  the 
English  national  character,  but  the  first  settlers  of  New 
England  came  to  these  shores  by  the  way  of  Holland, 
and  the  stop-over  in  the  land  of  the  Dutch  was  of  eleven 
years'  duration,  in  which  time  the  vitalizing  life  and  ways 
of  the  industrious  self-reliant  Netherlander  stamped  its 
lasting  impress  upon  the  receptive  Pilgrims,  who,  like 
their  hospitable  hosts,  knew  and  accepted  that  Divine 
law  that  inculcated  the  employment  of  all  physical  and 
mental  faculties. 

183 


STATE  BUILDERS 

When,  once  their  footing  had  been  made  secure  upon 
the  shores  of  Plymouth  bay  the  Pilgrims,  without  delay, 
set  about  the  building  of  a  nation.  The  mechanical  agen- 
cies with  which  they  might  clear  the  forests,  build  homes 
and  shop  and  factory  were  of  the  scantiest  nature  and 
often  times  wholly  lacking,  but  History  nowhere  records 
that  there  were  idle  hands  or  heads  among  the  Pilgrims. 
Then  the  Puritans  came  in  1630,  and  Massachusetts  had 
two  colonies  instead  of  one,  but  the  people  of  both,  liter- 
ally to  a  man,  held  that  it  was  a  part  of  their  religion  to 
keep  employed  head,  hand  and  heart.  The  people  of  these 
colonies  as  their  numbers  increased  pushed  out  into  the 
interior  of  New  England.  They  settled  Connecticut  and 
Rhode  Island,  for  Roger  Williams  and  his  followers  were 
of  the  same  spirit  as  the  Puritans  if  differing  on  points 
of  church  polity;  and  into  New  Hampshire  went  the 
purest  and  best  type  of  the  Puritan  man  and  woman, 
and  a  century  later  came  that  strong  and  virile  contingent 
known  in  history  as  the  Scotch-Irish,  and  quickly  there- 
after New  Hampshire  became  one  of  the  strongest  of  the 
American  colonies. 

New  England  throughout  its  entire  Colonial  period 
and  for  quite  fifty  years  following  the  Revolution, 
was  essentially  an  agricultural  community,  but  every 
farmstead  represented  almost  every  factor  incident 
to  the  material  life  of  the  times.  Beneath  each  roof 
tree  was  the  diversified  industry  of  the  town  of  to-day. 
Each  farm  grew  the  flax  and  produced  the  wool  for  the 
household's  supply  of  linen,  yarn  and  cloth.  The  carding, 
spinning  and  weaving  were  portions  of  the  domestic  life 
of  the  individual  home,  and  the  furniture,  farm  imple- 
ments and  kitchen  utensils  were  for  the  most  part  home 
made.  The  axe,  adze,  shave,  and  above  all  the  jackknife, 
were  almost  the  only  tools  with  which  these  things  were 
wrought,  but  the  skill  of  their  production  remains  to  this 
day  an  object  of  admiration. 

184 


STATE  BUILDERS 

While  it  is  true  that  the  necessities  of  Colonial  New 
England  were  great  and  of  direst  stress,  still  it  is  true 
in  greater  measure  that  they  regarded  it  a  religious  duty 
to  labor  the  livelong  day  with  head  and  hand.  The  neces- 
sities of  other  peoples  have  been  as  great,  yet  they  have 
ceased  to  exist  or  at  least  degenerated  because  they  did 
not  toil  and  spin.  It  was  the  utilization  of  their  physical 
and  mental  faculties  that  won  for  the  people  of  Colonial 
New  England  their  success  and  that  made  Puritan  New 
England  the  Genesis  of  American  invention. 

It  was  the  continued  use  of  the  jackknife  that  cul- 
minated in  the  production  of  that  multitude  of  articles 
that  the  whole  world  long  since  designated  as  "Yankee 
notions,"  and  New  Hampshire,  primarily  Puritan  but 
enriched,  strengthened  and  vitalized  by  that  generous  in- 
fusion of  Scotch-Irish  blood,  has  from  first  to  last  played 
a  mighty  part  in  the  story  of  the  development  of  indus- 
trial America,  the  greatness  of  which  growth  is  the  mar- 
vel of  the  world. 

New  Hampshire's  early  settlers  sought,  as  did  those  of 
other  New  England  provinces  and  colonies,  for  deposits 
of  iron  and  other  of  the  baser  metals.  John  Winthrop,  Jr., 
who  came  to  Massachusetts  Bay  with  the  then  large  sum 
of  one  thousand  pounds  sterling  or  five  thousand  dol- 
lars as  it  would  be  termed  to-day,  was  the  industrial  king 
of  his  day.  The  Great  and  General  Court  of  Massachu- 
setts Bay  granted  him  enormous  subsidies  in  the  form  of 
land  grants  if  he  would  but  find  his  iron  and  erect  fur- 
naces. He  explored  every  known  section  of  the  then 
New  England,  but  the  only  furnace  of  any  particular 
account  and  permanency  was  one  he  erected  in  one  of  the 
towns  near  Boston.  An  attempt  was  also  made  to  erect 
salt  works  at  Portsmouth,  but  the  clearing  of  the  forests 
and  the  manufactures  of  the  individual  households  com- 
prehended the  principal  efforts  along  this  line  for  not  a 
few  decades  succeeding  the  settlement  of  the  province. 

185 


STATE  BUILDERS 

The  erection  of  saw  mills  and  grist  mills  were  of  first 
and  vital  concern  to  the  settlers,  the  first  to  furnish  ma- 
terial for  farm  buildings  and  the  second  for  the  grind- 
ing of  corn,  rye,  and  oats..  It  was  not  until  nearly  a  cen- 
tury had  passed  that  wheat  culture  succeeded  either  in 
Massachusetts  or  New  Hampshire.  Indian  corn  was  the 
great  food  dependence,  and  the  remoter  settlements  in  the 
province  depended  upon  the  home  grinding  of  this  for  a 
supply.  Sometimes  a  stone  mortar  was  the  means  for  its 
grinding  or  rather  its  pounding  into  meal,  but  the  more 
frequent  means  was  the  hollowing  out  of  a  stump  of  a 
tree  cut  at  the  required  height,  while  the  pounding  was 
done  by  the  pulling  down  of  a  strong  young  sapling  to 
which  a  weight  was  attached.  The  natural  rebound  of  the 
tree  aided  in  the  work  of  grinding.  The  rye  and  Indian 
corn  of  the  forefathers  were  foods  natural  and  complete 
in  their  organizations,  and  so  built  the  bodies  of  the  grow- 
ing generation.  Their  teeth  remained  with  them  to  old 
age  and  the  grave,  and  they  never  became  prematurely 
aged  as  is  the  case  with  the  American  people  of  to-day. 

Fortunately  for  the  earlier  settlers,  the  province 
abounded  with  water  power.  Streams  of  varying  size 
were  everywhere  available  for  the  erection  of  saw  mills 
and  grist  mills  to  which  were  added  later  mills  for  the 
fulling  and  dressing  of  cloth,  and  tanneries.  The  tannery, 
which  once  came  to  be  a  part  of  almost  every  considerable 
community,  is  seen  to-day  only  here  and  there,  and  that  as 
a  large  establishment,  representing  the  present  day  idea  of 
centralization  of  capital  and  labor.  But  the  saw  mill 
still  remains,  and  its  numbers  increase  with  each  genera- 
tion, and  its  capacity  is  as  a  hundred  fold.  The  possible 
production  of  the  old-time  up  and  down  saw  in  the  mills 
of  the  fathers  was  two  thousand  feet  a  day  of  the  old- 
time  Puritan  length  of  fourteen  hours.  The  resawing 
band  saw  of  to-day  has  a  capacity  of  one  hundred  thou- 
sand feet,  and  the  portable  steam  circular  saw  mill  that 

186 


STATE  BUILDERS 

is  planted  everywhere  about  the  state,  anywhere  from  ten 
thousand  to  twenty  thousand  feet. 

From  first  to  the  present  every  farmstead  is  to  some 
extent  a  lumber  manufactory  as  well  as  representative  of 
various  other  products.  The  boy  who  was  born  on  a  New 
Hampshire  farm  learned  the  use  of  the  tools  of  the 
can^enter,  the  stone  mason,  the  painter  and  the  leather 
worker,  and  their  use  developed  the  inventive  faculties. 
He  gained  proficiency,  and  proficiency  is  progress,  and 
progress  is  the  result  of  the  utilization  of  the  head  and 
hand.  The  old  up  and  down  saw  gave  way  to  the  circu- 
lar saw,  hand  planing  to  machine  planing,  and  likewise 
every  process  of  handling  and  fashioning  lumber  from 
hand  work  to  that  by  machinery,  and  in  these  wonderful 
and  astonishing  strides  in  lumber  manufacturing  New 
Hampshire  has  been  to  the  fore.  Her  great  areas  of  for- 
ests and  her  abounding  water  power  were  gifts  of  nature, 
and  her  sons  saw  their  opportunity  and  trained  mind  and 
muscle  that  they  might  the  better  accept  that  opportunity. 

During  the  decade  which  ended  in  1890  the  value  of 
the  manufactured  lumber  products  according  to  the 
United  States  census  was  $5,641,445,  and  the  feeling 
prevailed  that  New  Hampshire's  forest  resources  were 
nearing  exhaustion,  for  the  above  values  only  represented 
the  merchandise  lumber  of  regular  establishments.  But 
in  the  decade  ended  in  IQOO  the  value  of  the  state's  manu- 
factured lumber  products  was  $9,218,310,  an  increase 
over  that  of  the  preceding  ten  years  of  almost  double — 
or,  to  be  exact — ninety-five  and  three-tenths  per  cent. 
The  capital  invested  in  lumber  manufacturing  plants  in 
1900  was  $11,382,114,  and  there  were  five  hundred  and 
fifty-three  of  these  plants. 

In  the  same  class  with  lumber  manufacturing  interests 
is  that  of  wood  pulp  and  paper.  In  1890  the  value  of 
pulp  and  paper  made  in  this  little  state  alone  was  $1,282,- 
022,  but  in  1900  the  value  had  increased  to  $7,244,733,  an 

187 


STATE  BUILDERS 

increase  of  nearly  three  hundred  per  cent,  and  the  indus- 
try ranks  fifth  in  the  state.  It  is  a  manufacturing  inter- 
est that  in  the  past  three  years  has  progressed  at  tremen- 
dous strides  and  includes  all  phases  of  the  pulp  industry. 
A  surprising  revelation  of  the  last  national  census  was 
that  the  boot  and  shoe  manufacturing  industry  of  the 
state  had  passed  the  cotton  manufacturing  interests  and 
assumed  first  rank.  For  decades  preceding  first  position 
had  been  held  by  the  cotton  manufacturing  industry  and 
without  apparent  danger  of  any  rival.  The  census  reports 
of  1890  give  the  total  value  of  the  factory  made  boots  and 
shoes  as  $11.986,003.  In  the  succeeding  ten  years  the 
value  of  the  product  reached  the  magnificent  total  of 
$23,405,558.  This  is  an  increase  of  practically  one  hun- 
dred per  cent  in  a  brief  ten  years,  and  is  a  growth  rarely 
equalled  in  the  history  of  the  industrial  development  of 
the  country.  Nor  does  the  census  of  1900  tell  the  story 
to  date,  for  that  states  the  facts  only  up  to  1899 
as  the  census  year  ends  with  the  "9"  and  not  with  the 
cipher.  Thus  to  illustrate:  The  census  of  1900  was  for 
the  ten  years  which  ended  December  31,  1899,  and  not 
on  December  31',  1900.  Therefore  three  full  years  and 
more  have  come  and  gone  since  the  last  census,  and  in 
those  years  the  shoe  manufacturing  industry  in  New 
Hampshire  has  grown  as  never  before.  New  factories 
have  been  built  and  old  ones  enlarged  and  re-equipped 
with  more  effective  machinery  and  to-day  New  Hamp- 
shire ranks  third  among  the  states  of  the  Union  in  the 
money  value  of  her  factory  made  boots  and  shoes.  In 
the  decade  ended  December  31,  1899,  the  value  of  the 
boot  and  shoe  product  in  Massachusetts  showed  an  in- 
crease of  less  than  one  million  dollars  over  that  of  the 
census  of  1889  as  compared  to  the  more  than  eleven 
millions  increase  in  New  Hampshire.  The  city  of  Man- 
chester, for  so  long  famed  as  a  great  cotton  manufactur- 
ing centre,  is  to-day  the  sixth  city  in  the  United  States  as 

188 


STATE  BUILDERS 

a  shoe  manufacturing  community.  The  growth  of  the 
industry  in  the  state  has  added  very  materially  to  its 
population,  its  general  prosperity,  and  material  well  being. 
Everything  indicates  that  it  is  now  securely  anchored  in 
the  community  and  that  it  will  continue  to  increase. 

Diversity  of  industry  is  the  sheet  anchor  of  a  state  as 
well  as  a  town,  the  safeguard,  assurance  and  stability  of 
its  material  welfare,  and  in  this  respect  New  Hampshire 
is  indeed  most  fortunate,  for  within  her  borders  are 
ninety-five  distinct  and  classified  industrial  interests.  The 
total  number  of  her  industrial  establishments  or  plants  is 
four  thousand  six  hundred  and  seventy-one,  having  a 
total  capitalization  of  $100,929,661.  They  give  employ- 
ment to  seventy-three  thousand  people  who  receive  in 
wages  $30,000,000  annually.  The  total  value  of  the 
products  of  these  manufacturing  plants  is  $118,709,308, 
which  means  a  per  capita  rate  of  two  hundred  and  eighty- 
eight  dollars  to  every  man,  woman  and  child  in  the  state. 

Cotton  manufacturing,  so  long  the  first  industry  in  the 
state,  is  now,  as  said,  the  second,  and  adding  the  value 
of  wood  pulp  products  to  those  of  lumber,  it  would  come 
dangerously  near  being  third.  Xew  Hampshire  is  the 
sixth  state  in  the  Union  in  the  value  of  her  cotton  man- 
ufactures, which  were  in  1899  valued  at  $22,998,249,  and 
of  this  sum  Manchester  contributed  $i  1,723,508,  or  about 
one-half.  Manchester  itself  ranks  as  the  fifth  city  in  the 
country  in  the  value  of  its  cotton  manufactures.  The 
total  number  of  spindles  in  the  state  is  1,249,875,  an  in- 
crease of  about  fifty-two  thousand  in  the  ten  years. 

But  the  people  of  Xew  Hampshire  irrespective  of  call- 
ing are  under  eternal  obligation  to  its  cotton  manufactur- 
ing interests.  It  has  been  the  strong  foundation  upon 
which  the  greater  part  of  its  material  interests  have  been 
reared.  Every  avenue  of  its  life  has  been  quickened 
thereby.  It  has  retained  in  the  state  thousands  of  its 
native  born  and  brought  still  other  thousands  within  its 

189 


STATE  BUILDERS 

borders.  It  has  added  value  to  every  farm  by  creating  a 
market  for  its  products  and  the  commercial  affairs  of  the 
state  have  found  it  in  past  and  present  their  securest  de- 
pendence. 

The  cotton  manufacturing  industry  of  the  state  had 
its  beginning  as  early  as  1803,  when  spinning  Jennys 
were  set  in  operation  in  the  town  of  New  Ipswich.  The 
spun  yarn  was  carried  out  to  neighborhood  families  and 
by  them  woven  into  cloth.  After  a  few  years  a  spinning 
mill  was  erected  at  the  falls  of  Amoskeag,  Manchester, 
and  in  1819  was  introduced  the  power  loom,  and  this 
led  directly  if  not  immediately  to  the  utilization  of  the 
power  of  the  falls  and  the  building  up  of  Manchester. 

As  reference  has  been  made  to  Amoskeag  falls  tribute 
should  be  paid,  and  that  too  without  measure,  to  the 
skill,  courage  and  discernment  of  that  grand  pioneer  of 
New  Hampshire's  industrial  interests,  Samuel  Blodgett, 
who  before  the  close  of  the  eighteenth  century,  began 
the  building  of  a  canal  around  Amoskeag  falls.  He 
was  seventy  years  old  when  he  began  this  then  Hercu- 
lean undertaking,  a  fact  that  should  serve  as  a  lesson 
that  a  man  is  never  too  old  to  enter  upon  a  task  for  the 
betterment  of  mankind.  For  near  a  decade  did  this  brave 
and  enterprising  man  labor  to  complete  his  project,  and 
succeeded  before  death  claimed  him. 

There  are  in  New  Hampshire  forty-five  plants  for  the 
manufacture  of  woollen  goods,  of  one  description  or  an- 
other. The  capitalization  of  these  is  about  $11,000,000, 
and  wool  manufactures  rank  as  the  thiid  largest  industry 
in  the  state.  These  woollen  mills  are  scattered  over  the 
state  and  are  not  localized  as  are  the  cotton  mills.  Natur- 
ally the  woollen  mill  is  the  modern  development  of  the 
hand  card,  the  spinning  wheel,  and  the  hand  loom  of  the 
older  homestead. 

The  popular  name  given  to  New  Hampshire  as  the 
"Granite  State"  doubtless  had  its  origin  in  the  fact  that 

190 


STATE  BUILDERS 

so  large  an  area  of  her  hills  and  fields  consists  of  rocks, 
and  ledges,  but  these  are  not  necessarily  granite  in 
the  sense  of  building  material.  Strictly  speaking,  New 
Hampshire  is  less  a  "Granite  State"  than  Maine,  and 
probably  Vermont.  Concord  is  the  greatest  centre  of  the 
business,  but  Troy,  Fitzwilliam  and  Maryborough  in 
Cheshire  county  are  all  of  great  importance  as  re- 
spects this  industry.  The  labor  employed  is  for  the  most 
part  skilled,  and  well  paid,  and  the  industry  as  a  whole 
adds  much  to  the  general  wealth  and  prosperity  of  the 
state. 

An  industry  that  has  been  of  long  continued  benefit 
to  the  state,  for  reason  of  division  of  labor  in  particular, 
is  that  of  carriage  and  coach  building.  Although  confined 
mostly  to  the  city  of  Concord,  it  has  been  a  veritable 
trades  school,  and  men  trained  therein  have  gone  into 
other  parts  of  the  state,  and  as  skilled  journeymen  and 
manufacturers  have  spread  the  benefits  of  the  enterprise. 
The  Concord  coach  carried  the  name  and  fame  of  the 
city  and  state  around  the  world.  In  its  construction  were 
employed  the  most  skilful  of  wood  workers,  painters 
and  decorators,  upholsterers  and  harness  makers.  The 
ability  of  these  men  is  of  world-wide  knowledge,  and  in 
one  generation  or  another  they  have  been  a  source  of 
great  and  staying  good  to  the  community. 

It  is  this  diversity  of  industry  that  has  been,  and  is,  the 
strength  of  industrial  Xew  Hampshire,  and  this  diversity 
is  really  the  result  of  the  versatility  of  its  men  and  women. 
The  utilization  of  the  faculties  of  head  and  hand  began 
in  the  days  of  the  Puritans  and  Scotch-Irish,  and  con- 
tinued  through  generations  and  gathering  to  itself 
strength  as  it  passed  from  parent  to  child,  has  culminated 
in  generations  of  men  and  women,  native  to  the  state,  that 
have  not  only  builded  a  rich,  prosperous  and  strong  com- 
monwealth at  home,  but  have  gone  forth  and  aided  in 
the  upbuilding  of  other  states  and  the  nation.  This  drain 

191 


STATE  BUILDERS 

.from  the  state  of  her  young  men  and  women  has  been 
oftentimes  at  the  expense  of  home  interests,  but  there 
is  reason  to  believe  that  this  drain  from  the  state  of  her 
very  life  blood  has  not  only  reached  its  height,  but  is  re- 
maining' on  its  native  heath.  The  revelation  of  the  last 
census  that  the  value  of  the  products  of  its  manufactur- 
ing interests,  annually,  were  in  round  numbers  thirty- 
three  millions  greater  than  in  the  preceding  decade  has  a 
mighty  significance,  and  the  best  of  all  its  meanings  is 
that  New  Hampshire's  sons  and  daughters  recognize  that 
she  offers  as  great  and  varied  opportunities  for  success 
right  here  at  home  as  does  any  other  state  in  the  Union. 


192 


COMMERCIAL  NEW  HAMPSHIRE 
BY  G.  A.  CHENEY 

Looking  back  to  those  years  when  New  Hampshire 
was  the  new-found  home  of  a  scattered  number  of  pioneer 
settlers,  each  with  his  own  allotment  of  land,  there  was 
neither  commerce  nor  manufactures.  Each  individual 
farm  and  home  furnished  food  and  raiment  alike,  and 
beneath  each  roof  tree  were  fashioned  the  utensils  and 
furnishings  of  the  primitive  home. 

But  as  the  settlers  increased  in  numbers  and  there  was 
a  smoothing  out  of  the  roughness  and  primitiveness  of 
their  original  natural  surroundings,  there  came  about  a 
practice  of  interchange  of  commodities  between  imme- 
diate neighbors,  and  this  was  commerce  in  its  crudest 
form,  but  nevertheless  the  genesis  of  trade. 

The  most  potent  fact,  the  great  fundamental  element 
in  each  and  every  original  New  England  settlement,  was 
the  single,  all-comprehending  purpose  of  the  settler  to 
found  for  himself  and  children  a  home.  The  Spaniard's 
great  purpose  in  the  New  World  was  the  quest  of  silver 
and  gold,  and  retrogression  is  the  record  of  his  life  to 
this  day. 

Home,  that  is  the  family,  is  the  unit  of  civilized  human 
life,  and  all  that  it  comprehends  is  summed  up  in  the 
one  word  progression. 

The  pioneer  settlers  of  New  Hampshire,  like  their  fel- 
lows in  every  other  portion  of  New  England,  showed  a 
resolute  face  to  every  danger,  endured  every  hardship  and 

193 


STATE  BUILDERS 

performed  every  duty  to  the  one  end  of  securing  homes 
that  should  be  their  own  to  the  centre  of  the  earth,  and  to 
the  sky  above. 

At  first  the  exchange  of  commodities  was  limited  in 
every  respect,  yet  there  was  a  steady,  gradual  and  fixed 
growth,  until  a  system  called  trade  and  barter  was  de- 
veloped. This  system  pervaded  every  nook  and  corner 
of  New  England.  Its  very  nature  prompted  individual 
effort.  Hard  cash,  or  its  equivalent  in  paper,  was  not  an 
object  of  daily  observance  to  all.  Indian  corn  was  for 
long  a  legal  tender,  as  were  other  farm  products.  The 
system  of  trade  and  barter  made  every  man  a  trader  as 
well  as  a  farmer  and  manufacturer,  and  as  he  was  all 
three  in  one,  his  every  faculty  was  stimulated  and  de- 
veloped by  utilization.  The  system  continued  for  gen- 
erations, and  it  was  the  Golden  Era  of  American  individ- 
ual manhood,  the  kind  of  manhood  that  pushed  further 
and  further  westward  the  bounds  of  the  American  re- 
public, that  built  new  states  and  carried  New  England 
commerce  across  the  seas. 

In  the  growth  of  the  state  the  day  came  when  there 
was  a  surplus  of  products  from  farm  and  household,  and 
the  finding  of  an  outlet  for  that  surplus  was  a  problem 
up  for  solution.  Such  a  condition  had  wisely  been  an- 
ticipated in  the  construction  of  those  highways  called 
turnpikes  by  private  capital  and  enterprise.  These  turn- 
pikes were  the  forerunners  of  the  railroads.  Travellers 
upon  them  paid  for  the  privilege  just  as  the  passenger  of 
to-day  does  for  travelling  in  a  railway  car.  While  the 
toll  paying  turnpike  has  long  since  ceased  as  a  feature  in 
the  material  life  of  the  state,  the  toll  bridge  is  still  a  fact 
at  least  in  two  or  three  instances. 

Naturally  these  turnpikes  lead  the  way  to  the  ports 
on  the  New  England  coast,  and  those  seaports  from  Port- 
land to  Boston  were  the  like  natural  outlets  for  New 
Hampshire's  surplus  products.  Hither  the  farmers  went 

194 


STATE  BUILDERS 

with  their  loads  of  cheese,  pork,  beef,  poultry  and  other 
products  and  exchanged  them  for  dried  codfish,  salted 
mackerel,  loaf  sugar,  molasses,  rum  and  spices.  The 
farmer  was  accustomed  to  make  at  least  one  trip  a  year 
to  "market,"  but  often  twice,  in  the  early  spring  and  late 
fall.  These  journeyings  of  the  farmers  gave  opportunity 
for  that  ever-to-be-remembered  feature  of  Colonial  life, 
the  wayside  inn  or  tavern,  that  only  disappeared  with  the 
coming  of  the  iron  horse  and  iron  road.  In  these  wayside 
inns  the  sturdy,  self-reliant  American  yeomanry  of  the 
nation's  formative  generations  exchanged  the  news  of 
their  respective  localities  and  made  known  to  each  other 
the  opportunities  and  possibilities  of  the  ever  broadening 
land.  It  was  a  great  school  for  the  development  of  the 
individual  character. 

As  the  years  were  numbered  off  and  the  province  and 
in  turn  the  state  grew  in  wealth  and  population  the  stage 
coach  came  thicker  and  faster  over  the  pike,  building  up 
and  developing  in  its  later  years  a  class  of  men  destined 
to  be  the  forerunner  of  that  great  community  of  to-day, — 
the  railroad  men.  With  the  increase  of  population  came 
the  village  with  its  varying  phases  of  life  and  conspicuous 
among  these  was  the  village  merchant  with  his  store 
stocked  with  merchandise  that  included  everything  from 
a  shoe  peg  to  a  goose  yoke,  from  whale  oil  to  the  finest 
old  Medford,  from  the  tiny  pin  to  the  heaviest  crowbar. 
To  the  country  store  the  ingenious  boy  brought  those 
articles  he  had  so  dexterously  wrought  with  his  jackknife, 
which  articles  he  exchanged  for  a  slale  upon  which  to 
cipher,  or  perhaps  some  future  preacher  took  this  way  of 
becoming  the  owner  of  a  copy  of  Jonathan  Edwards' 
latest  sermons,  or  some  future  lawyer  a  copy  of  Black- 
stone's  commentaries.  Hither  the  little  girl  brought  her 
sampler,  her  older  sister  some  skilfully  wrought  em- 
broidery and  the  aged  madame  a  bed  quilt  of  blue  and 
white,  samples  of  which  are  still  to  be  seen  to  this  day. 


STATE  BUILDERS 

Every  one  toiled,  for  it  was  a  constantly  taught  lesson 
that  the  idle  moment  was  a  sinful  moment  and  that  the 
road  to  "forehandedness"  was  alone  through  industry 
and  incessant  toil. 

The  accumulation  at  the  village  store  of  the  surplus 
products  of  the  region  required  more  frequent  trips  to 
the  seacoast  markets  and  by  the  close  of  the  eighteenth 
century  the  amount  of  traffic  over  the  turnpikes  was 
simply  prodigious.  In  the  historical  novel  "Soltaire" 
which  is  descriptive  of  life  in  the  White  Mountain  region 
the  author  draws  a  vivid  word  picture  of  that  turnpike 
travel  as  it  was  in  the  very  first  years  of  the  nineteenth 
century.  He  recites  the  testimony  of  men  who  not  in- 
frequently saw  a  string  of  teams  that  would  cover  a  mile 
of  the  road  at  a  time  all  bound  for  the  Portland  market, 
and  this,  be  it  remembered,  over  that  "pike"  that  wended 
its  way  through  the  Crawford  Notch. 

By  that  skilful  use  of  mechanical  tools  the  New  Hamp- 
shire man  of  those  earlier  times  became  no  less  famous 
than  his  Massachusetts  and  Connecticut  brother  in  the 
production  of  those  articles  that  went  by  the  name  of 
Yankee  notions  and  he  became  no  less  shrewd  as  a  trader 
than  skilful  as  a  manufacturer.  He  became  versatile  and 
it  was  this  versatility  of  talent  on  the  part  of  the  descen- 
dants of  the  Puritans  that  has  proved  the  sheet  anchor 
of  the  nation  and  the  source  of  its  power  as  a  great 
commercial  nation.  Progression  was  the  law  of  his  be- 
ing. When  the  limits  of  his  own  state  became  too 
narrow  for  his  operation  he  went  forth  into'  other  states 
and  became  a  mighty  power  in  the  winning  of  the  West 
and  the  North- West.  He  founded  mighty  marts  of  trade 
in  Boston,  New  York.  Philadelphia,  Chicago  and  San 
Francisco.  The  New  Hampshire  man  left  his  seat  on  the 
stage  coach  to  become  the  builder  of  a  railroad  or  to  found 
transportation  companies.  The  keeper  of  the  old  way- 
side inn  moved  on  to  the  centres  of  traffic  and  population 

196 


STATE  BUILDERS 

and  there  built  the  mammoth  hotel,  the  wonder  of  the 
world  in  its  comprehension  of  comfort  and  elegance. 
Hotel  management  is  essentially  a  commercial  line  and 
in  this  New  Hampshire  men,  the  descendants  of  the 
keeper  of  the  old  time  tavern,  are  prominent  the  country 
over.  In  the  summer  they  are  in  the  White  Mountains, 
investments  of  millions  of  dollars  in  their  charge,  and  in 
the  winter  they  are  in  Florida  or  Southern  California 
directing  like  great  properties.  In  New  York,  Boston 
and  elsewhere  they  have  proved  themselves  the  best  of 
hotel  managers. 

These  opening  years  of  the  twentieth  century  present 
the  commercial  life  of  the  state  in  phases  radically  differ- 
ent than  those  of  a  half  or  even  a  quarter  century  ago. 
For  generations  its  retail  merchants  had  relied  upon  Bos- 
ton for  supplies,  and  whereas  a  generation  ago  Manches- 
ter had  scarcely  a  wholesale  store  it  has  in  this  year  of 
1903  one  entire  section  given  up  to  the  wholesale  trade. 
Manchester,  so  long  famed  as  a  manufacturing  city,  has 
become  an  important  commercial  metropolis,  the  chief  in 
this  respect  of  all  Northern  New  England.  New  lines  of 
trade  and  commerce  are  in  process  of  development 
throughout  the  state  and  former  ones  are  gaining  annu- 
ally. All  of  the  state's  leading  industries  are  expanding 
and  this  means  an  expanding  commerce,  for  in  a  certain 
sense  trade  is  but  the  handmaid  of  industry. 


197 


BIOGRAPHIES 


NAHUM  J.  BACHELDER, 

Governor  of  New  Hampshire,  1903-1904 


NAHUM  J.  BACHELDER. 

Nahum  J.  Bachelder,  governor  of  New  Hampshire,  is 
a  descendant  in  the  eighth  generation  of  the  Rev.  Stephen 
Bachiler,  who  settled  at  Hampton  in  1632.  He  was  born 
in  Andover,  September  3,  1854,  upon  the  farm  where  he 
now  lives  and  which  was  cleared  by  his  great-grand- 
father in  1782.  He  is  the  oldest  child  of  William  A. 
and  Adeline  (Shaw)  Bachelder.  His  boyhood  was 
passed  upon  the  farm  and  his  early  education  was  gained 
in  the  district  schools  with  a  few  terms  at  Franklin  acad- 
emy and  the  New  Hampton  institute. 

After  a  brief  experience  in  teaching  Mr.  Bachelder 
devoted  himself  to  practical  agriculture,  gaining  much 
success  as  a  market  gardener  and  dairyman.  In  1877 
he  joined  Highland  grange  at  East  Andover  and 
later  became  its  master.  In  1883  he  was  chosen  secre- 
tary of  the  state  grange  and  filled  that  position  with 
great  credit  for  eight  years,  being  then  promoted  to  the 
office,  which  he  has  since  held,  of  master.  Under  his 
administration  the  order  of  Patrons  of  Husbandry  has 
made  wonderful  progress  in  New  Hampshire  and  has 
greatly  benefited  the  Granite  state  in  general  and  its  agri- 
cultural interests  in  particular. 

In  the  councils  of  the  National  grange  ,also,  Governor 
Bachelder  has  wisely  exercised  a  great  influence.  He 
served  for  two  terms  as  a  member  of  the  executive  com- 
mittee and  is  now  upon  his  second  term  as  national  lec- 
turer. He  has  also  been  of  eminent  service  to  his  order 

2OI 


STATE  BUILDERS 

and  to  the  people  through  his  membership  on  the  legis- 
lative committee. 

In  1887  Mr.  Bachelder  was  elected  as  successor  to  the 
late  James  O.  Adams  as  secretary  of  the  state  board  of 
agriculture  and  for  fifteen  years  has  so  conducted  the 
affairs  of  that  office  as  to  win  the  admiration  of  all  who 
have  become  acquainted  with  its  work.  Since  the  estab- 
lishment of  the  office  of  commissioner  of  immigration 
in  1889,  now  merged  in  the  office  of  secretary  of  the  state 
board  of  agriculture,  Mr.  Bachelder  has  discharged  its 
duties,  with  a  broad  grasp  of  present  conditions  and 
future  possibilities  which  has  attracted  the  attention  of 
the  entire  country.  He  has  been,  too,  an  active,  vigilant 
and  efficient  official  of  the  state  cattle  commission  since 
its  organization  and  has  done  great  work  in  keeping  the 
live  stock  of  the  state  free  from  contagious  diseases.  An- 
other position  which  he  has  held  to  the  great  advantage 
of  the  agriculture  of  the  state  has  been  that  of  secretary 
of  the  Grange  State  Fair  at  Tilton  and,  more  recently,  of 
the  state  fair  at  Concord. 

In  the  establishment  of  Old  Home  Week  Governor 
Rollins  found  in  Mr.  Bachelder  an  invaluable  assistant, 
and  it  is  to  the  hearty  co-operation  of  these  gentlemen 
that  the  movement  owes  its  unqualified  and  far-reaching 
success. 

Mr.  Bachelder  received  the  honorary  degree  of  master 
of  arts  from  Dartmouth  college  in  1891.  He  is  a  member 
of  the  University  and  Wonolancet  clubs  of  Concord, 
Derryfield  club  of  Manchester  and  of  Kearsarge  lodge, 
A.  F.  and  A.  M.  He  attends  the  Congregational  church. 

June  30,  1887,  he  was  united  in  marriage  with  Mary 
A.  Putney  of  Dunbarton,  and  they  have  two  children, 
Ruth,  born  May  22,  1891,  and  Henry,  born  March  17, 
1895.  In  addition  to  their  splendid  farm  estate  at  An- 
dover  they  have  a  winter  home  in  the  city  of  Concord. 


EDWARD  NATHAN  PEARSON, 

Secretary  of  State,  1903 


EDWARD    N.    PEARSON. 

Edward  Nathan  Pearson,  secretary  of  state,  and  one 
of  the  most  popular  young  men  in  New  Hampshire,  was 
born  in  Webster,  N.  H.,  September  7,  1859,  the  son  of 
John  C.  and  Lizzie  S.  (Colby)  Pearson.  He  prepared 
for  college  in  the  High  school  at  Warner  and  the  acad- 
emy at  Penacook  and  graduated  from  Dartmouth  college 
in  the  class  of  1881,  ranking  with  the  very  first  in  schol- 
arship. Immediately  upon  graduation  he  entered  the 
employ  of  the  Republican  Press  Association  at  Concord, 
N.  H.,  as  city  editor  of  the  Concord  Evening  Monitor. 
With  the  exception  of  one  year  spent  in  Washington, 
D.  C.,  as  teacher  in  a  public  school,  Mr.  Pearson  con- 
tinued his  connection  with  the  Republican  Press  Associa- 
tion and  its  papers,  the  Evening  Monitor  and  Inde- 
pendent Statesman,  for  almost  twenty  years,  acting 
during  nearly  half  that  time  as  managing  editor  of  the 
papers  and  business  manager  of  the  entire  plant.  In 
this  period  of  his  life  he  established  a  reputation  which 
he  has  since  maintained  and  increased  of  uniting  in  him- 
self grace  and  style,  originality  of  thought  and  thorough 
culture  as  a  writer  with  tried  and  true  ability,  industry 
and  integrity  as  a  business  man. 

By  inheritance,  training,  judgment  and  choice  Mr. 
Pearson  is  a  steadfast  Republican.  During  his  connec- 
tion with  the  Republican  Press  Association  he  was  elected 
public  printer;  and  in  1899  he  was  chosen  secretary  of 
state,  a  position  which  he  has  since  filled  with  the  greatest 

203 


STATE  BUILDERS 

credit  to  himself  and  satisfaction  to  the  public.  The  char- 
acteristic of  Mr.  Pearson's  life  has  always  been  his  desire 
to  help,  by  word  or  deed  or  both,  every  one  with  whom 
he  came  in  contact.  In  his  official  position  he  finds  many 
opportunities  for  the  gratification  of  this  desire,  which, 
added  to  his  executive  and  administrative  ability,  his 
wide  knowledge  of  men  and  affairs,  his  natural  gift  cf 
oratory  and  his  aptitude  in  the  management  of  public 
functions,  make  him  the  ideal  of  an  officer  and  servant 
of  the  commonwealth. 

Mr.  Pearson  was  for  several  years  a  member  cf  the 
board  of  health  of  Concord  and  an  officer  of  the  associa- 
tion of  boards  of  health  of  the  state.  These  positions  he 
resigned  upon  his  election  to  the  board  of  education  of 
Union  school  district  in  Concord.  He  is  a  vice-president 
of  the  general  alumni  association  of  Dartmouth  college 
and  has  served  on  the  committee  for  the  nomination  of 
candidates  for  alumni  trustee.  He  is,  also,  an  officer  of 
the  New  Hampshire  Press  Association  and  of  other  or- 
ganizations. He  is  a  member  of  the  Patrons  of  Hus- 
bandry and  other  fraternal  orders  and  is  a  constant  at- 
tendant upon  the  services  of  the  South  Congregational 
church.  December  8,  1882,  he  was  united  in  marriage 
with  Miss  Addie  M.  Sargent  of  Lebanon,  and  they  have 
four  children. 

Just  entering  the  prime  of  life,  with  opportunities  for 
wide  usefulness  all  about  him,  and  with  a  large  and  ever 
increasing  circle  of  warm  and  devoted  personal  friends^ 
Secretary  of  State  Pearson  has  done  and  will  do  much 
for  his  city,  his  state  and  his  fellow  men. 


204 


JACOB  H.  GALLINGER, 

United  States  Senator  from  New  Hampshire,  igoj 


SENATOR  JACOB  H.   GALLINGER. 

United  States  Senator  Jacob  H.  Gallinger  has  been  for 
more  than  thirty  years  a  conspicuous  figure  in  the  public 
life  of  his  state.  He  was  born  March  28,  1837,  at  Corn- 
wall, Ontario,  descended  on  the  paternal  side  from  Dutch 
ancestry,  and  his  mother  being  of  American  stock.  At 
an  early  age  with  only  the  limited  advantages  of  school- 
ing possible  to  be  had  at  his  home,  he  was  thrown  upon 
his  own  resources  and  early  displayed  that  unflagging 
industry  which  has  been  the  chief  instrument  of  his  rise 
to  favor  in  professional  and  public  life. 

As  a  youth  he  learned  the  printing  trade  and  for  a 
time  published  a  newspaper.  The  printing-office  was  to 
him  at  once  a  source  of  livelihood  and  a  school,  and  there 
he  laid  the  foundations  for  that  wide  knowledge  of  men 
and  affairs  which  has  since  been  so  marvellously  extended 
in  the  course  of  his  remarkable  career  as  a  public  man. 

While  still  at  work  at  the  case  he  began  the  study  of 
medicine,  and  in  1855  he  entered  a  medical  school  at  Cin- 
cinnati, Ohio,  whence  he  was  graduated  at  the  head  of 
his  class  in  1858.  Feeling,  however,  that  he  was  not  yet 
qualified  for  the  active  work  of  his  profession,  he  devoted 
himself  for  the  next  three  years  to  study  and  travel, 
finding  means  to  defray  his  expenses  by  literary  work  and 
incidentally  working  at  the  printer's  trade,  and  in  1861 
he  entered  upon  practice  in  the  city  of  Keene,  where  he 
remained  only  a  few  months,  removing  to  Concord  in 
April,  1862,  where  for  twenty-three  years  he  was  actively 

205 


STATE  BUILDERS 

engaged  in  the  practice  of  medicine  and  established  a 
large  and  especially  remunerative  business. 

His  aptitude  for  public  affairs  became  early  apparent, 
and  in  1872  he  held  his  first  public  office  as  member  of 
the  New  Hampshire  legislature.  He  was  re-elected  in 
1873,  and  in  1876  was  chosen  a  member  of  the  consti- 
tutional convention.  In  1878  he  was  elected  a  member 
of  the  state  senate  and  was  chosen  for  a  second  term, 
serving  in  1879  as  president  of  that  body.  During  the 
administration  of  Governor  Natt  Head  he  served  upon 
the  chief  magistrate's  staff  as  surgeon-general.  In  1882 
he  was  chosen  chairman  of  the  Republican  State  Com- 
mittee and  served  in  that  capacity  until  1890,  when  he 
resigned. 

In  1884  he  was  elected  to  the  Forty-ninth  Congress, 
was  re-elected  in  1886  by  an  enlarged  majority,  and 
declined  a  third  nomination  in  1888.  In  1888  he 
was  chairman  of  the  New  Hampshire  delegation  to  the 
Republican  National  Convention  at  Chicago,  where  his 
political  sagacity  was  well  illustrated  by  the  fact  that 
he  was  one  of  the  seconders  of  the  nomination  of  the 
successful  candidate,  Gen.  Benjamin  Harrison  of  In- 
diana. In  1890  he  was  again  elected  to  the  legislature, 
and  during  that  session  of  the  General  Court  was  chosen 
United  States  senator,  entering  upon  his  duties  March 
4,  1891.  He  was  re-elected  after  an  unanimous  nomi- 
nation in  the  Republican  caucus  in  1897,  and  in  1903  he 
received  the  unprecedented  honor  of  a  third  consecutive 
election  for  a  full  term,  receiving  every  vote  that  was  cast 
in  the  caucus. 

In  the  senate  he  ranks  with  the  leaders  of  his  party. 
He  is  at  the  head  of  large  and  important  committees,  and 
is  an  indefatigable  worker  in  legislative  lines.  A  master 
of  parliamentary  law  he  is  frequently  called  upon  to 
preside,  and  his  voice  is  potent,  both  in  speech  upon  the 
floor  of  the  Senate  and  in  private  conference  in  the  shap- 
ing of  the  great  policies  of  his  party  and  the  nation. 

206 


STATE  BUILDERS 

Senator  Gallinger  is  a  public  speaker  of  wide  repute 
and  his  services  are  in  constant  demand  in  many  states 
in  every  campaign.  The  larger  portion  of  his  political 
activity  in  this  line,  however,  he  devotes  to  his  own  state, 
where  no  advocate  of  party  policies  is  more  eagerly  heard 
or  more  enthusiastically  welcomed.  In  1898  Senator 
Gallinger  was  again  called  to  the  chairmanship  of  the 
Republican  state  committee,  and  was  re-elected  to  that 
position  in  1900  and  in  1902.  In  1900  he  again  headed 
his  state's  delegation  at  the  Republican  National  Con- 
vention, and  in  1901  he  was  made  the  New  Hampshire 
member  of  the  Republican  National  Committee. 


207 


HON.  HENRY  E.  BURNHAM. 

Henry  E.  Burnham,  United  States  senator  from  New 
Hampshire,  was  born  in  Dunbarton  Nov.  18,  1844, 
in  the  eighth  generation  from  John  Burnham,  an  emi- 
grant from  Norwich,  England,  in  1635.  His  early  life 
was  passed  upon  his  father's  farm,  and  he  prepared  for 
college  at  Kimball  Union  academy,  Meriden,  entering 
Dartmouth  in  1861,  at  the  age  of  seventeen.  He  was 
graduated  with  honors  in  the  class  of  1865,  having  al- 
ready through  the  attainments  of  his  college  course  given 
promise  of  the  brilliant  professional  and  public  career 
which  he  has  since  pursued. 

He  entered  upon  the  study  of  law  with  Minot  &  Mug- 
ridge  at  Concord,  and  concluded  his  studies  under  the 
direction  of  E.  S.  Cutter,  at  Nashua,  and  the  late  Judge 
Lewis  W.  Clark  at  Manchester.  In  April,  1868,  he  was 
admitted  to  the  bar,  and  at  once  opened  an  office  in  Man- 
chester where  his  unflagging  industry  and  his  marked 
ability  soon  won  for  him  an  enviable  reputation  as  a 
successful  practitioner.  His  clientage  increased  yearly, 
requiring  the  admission  of  partners  to  the  business,  until 
the  firm  of  Burnham,  Brown  &  Warren,  of  which  he 
was  the  active  head,  ranked  with  the  leaders  at  the  bar 
in  all  the  courts  of  New  England  jurisdiction. 

From  1876  to  1879  he  acceptably  filled  the  office  of 
judge  of  probate  for  Hillsborough  county,  but  the  temp- 
tations of  lucrative  private  practice  caused  his  resigna- 
tion from  the  bench.  In  1873  and  1874  he  was  a  mem- 

208 


HENRY  E.  BURNHAM, 

United  States  Senator  from  ATew  Hampshire, 


STATE  BUILDERS 

her  of  the  New  Hampshire  legislature,  and  in  1889  he 
sat  in  the  convention  called  for  the  revision  of  the  state 
constitution.  In  1900  he  was  again  elected  to  the  legis- 
lature, and  in  that  same  year  became  a  candidate  for 
United  States  senator.  •  Alter  a  long  and  taxing  canvass 
his  candidacy  was  crowned  with  success  and  he  took  his 
seat  in  the  United  States  Senate  on  the  4th  of  March, 
1901.  where,  although  a  new  member,  he  has  already 
shown  marked  qualifications  as  a  safe  and  reliable  and 
industrious  legislator. 

Judge  Burnham  is  a  member  of  the  Masonic  order  and 
has  taken  a  deep  interest  in  the  affairs  of  the  fraternity, 
having  filled  all  the  offices.  In  Washington  lodge  at 
Manchester  he  became  an  officer  of  the  Grand  Lodge 
of  the  state  in  1885,  and  was  elected  Grand  Master  of 
that  body.  He  is  also  a  prominent  member  of  the  Inde- 
pendent Order  of  Odd  Fellows. 

In  1874  he  married  Miss  Elizabeth  H.  Patterson  of 
Manchester,  and  the}'-  have  three  daughters. 

Senator  Burnham's  gifts  of  oratory  are  widely  recog- 
nized. A  clear,  logical,  eloquent,  convincing  speaker, 
possessed  of  fine  presence  and  rich  voice,  choice  diction 
and  an  effective  manner,  he  won  his  widest  fame  in  his 
profession  as  an  advocate,  swaying  juries  almost  invari- 
ably at  his  will.  In  public  life  this  ability  has  served 
him  in  good  stead,  and  both  on  the  stump  and  in  the 
forum  of  state  and  national  legislative  action  he  has  be- 
come a  commanding  figure. 


209 


WINSTON  CHURCHILL. 

A  recent  addition  to  the  ranks  of  New  Hampshire 
citizenship,  attracted  hither  by  the  unrivalled  beauties 
pf  our  scenery,  is  Winston  Churchill,  the  distinguished 
novelist,  who  was  born  in  St.  Louis,  Mo.,  November 
10,  1871.  Receiving-  his  preliminary  education  in  the 
Smith  Academy  in  his  native  state,  he  was  appointed 
a  cadet  at  the  United  States  Naval  Academy  at  Anna- 
polis, Md.,  whence  he  was  graduated  in  1894.  The  lit- 
erary bent,  however,  was  too  strong  upon  him  to  per- 
mit a  divided  duty,  and  resigning  from  the  navy,  Mr. 
Churchill  entered  upon  a  writer's  career  and  attached 
himself  to  the  editorial  staff  of  a  well-known  periodical. 
His  first  published  novel,  "The  Celebrity,"  met  with  no 
inconsiderable  success,  and  bore  the  signs  of  that  prom- 
ise which  his  later  work  has  so  well  fulfilled,  and  the 
first  permanent  result  of  his  emancipation  from  the  edi- 
torial desk  was  that  stirring  novel  of  American  patriot- 
ism, "Richard  Carvel,"  the  first  of  a  trilogy  upon  Ameri- 
can historical  subjects,  the  second  of  which,  "The 
Crisis,"  dealing  with  the  Civil  War  in  the  same  bril- 
liant spirit  in  which  its  forerunner  had  treated  the  Revo- 
lution, engenders  the  hope  that  the  completing  novel  of 
the  series  will  still  further  advance  the  fame  of  its  author. 

Taking  up  his  residence  in  the  beautiful  town  of  Cor- 
nish, in  the  midst  of  that  distinguished  colony  of  writ- 
ers, painters,  sculptors  and  professional  workers  who 
have  made  their  summer  homes  there,  Mr.  Churchill's 


WINSTON  CHURCHILL 


STATE  BUILDERS 

attachment  to  the  beautiful  scenes  of  New  Hampshire 
has  caused  him  to  cast  his  lot  permanently  with  that 
of  the  state  and  he  has  enrolled  himself  in  the  list  of  her 
citizens  with  a  firm  desire  to  act  well  his  part  in  advanc- 
ing all  the  elements  of  the  welfare  of  the  community. 
In  line  with  this  notion  Mr.  Churchill  accepted  an  elec- 
tion as  member  of  the  legislature  from  Cornish,  and  by 
his  active  espousal  of  measttres  designed  to  promote  the 
prosperity  of  the  state  has  shown  himself  to  be  one  of  her 
sons  most  surely  to  be  counted  upon  to  co-operate  in 
movements  looking  to  a  wider  and  better  future  for  the 
commonwealth.  At  his  beautiful  estate  in  Cornish  Mr. 
Churchill  dispenses  a  charming  and  liberal  hospitality. 
Aside  from  his  literary  affiliations  Mr.  Churchill  has 
wide  social  relations  and  is  a  member  of  the  Union  club, 
Boston;  of  the  Century  club,  New  York;  of  the  Univer- 
sity club,  St.  Louis;  of  the  Blue  Mountain  Forest  Game' 
club,  Newport,  New  Hampshire;  an  honorary  member  of 
the  Vermont  Fish  and  Game  league;  member  of  the 
executive  committee  of  the  Society  for  the  Protection  of 
New  Hampshire  Forests  and  a  vice-president  of  the  New 
Hampshire  Exchange  club. 


211 


CHESTER  B.  JORDAN. 

No  man  of  this  generation  in  New  Hampshire  has  pos- 
sessed the  confidence,  esteem,  love  and  admiration  of  his 
fellow  citizens  to  a  greater  degree  than  Chester  B.  Jordan, 
governor  of  the  state  in  the  years  1901  and  1902. 

He  was  born  in  Colebrook  October  15,  1839,  and  there 
passed  his  boyhood  and  youth  in  hard  and  almost  inces- 
sant labor  upon  the  farm.  In  1860  he  entered  upon  his 
long  cherished  desire  to  gain  an  education  and  worked  his 
way  through  Colebrook  academy  and  Kimball  Union 
academy  at  Meriden,  graduating  from  the  latter  institu- 
tion in  1866. 

He  was  elected  superintending  school  committee  of  the 
town  of  Colebrook  1865-7  and  was  selectman  in  1867.  In 
1 868  he  was  appointed  clerk  of  the  court  for  Coos  county, 
a  position  which  he  filled  very  satisfactorily,  until  the 
Democratic  overturn  of  1874. 

Meanwhile  he  was  studying  law  and  in  1875  he  was 
admitted  to  the  bar,  a  profession  which  he  has  followed 
ever  since  with  distinguished  success.  At  this  writing 
and  for  many  years  past  the  firm  of  Drew,  Jordan  & 
Buckley  has  been  recognized  as  one  of  the  ablest  in  the 
state.  Governor  Jordan  has  been  a  close  student  of  the 
law  and  has  won  fame  both  as  a  counsellor  and  in  the 
drafting  of  legal  papers. 

Outside  of  the  law  his  scope  of  usefulness  has  been 
wide.  In  1870  he  purchased  the  Coos  Republican  and 
edited  it  ably  and  fearlessly.  For  forty  years  he  has 
written  for  the  newspapers.  Besides  he  has  written  much 

212 


CHESTER  E.  JORDAN, 
Governor  of  IVew  Hampshire,  1901-1902 


STATE  BUILDERS 

for  historical  societies,  and  for  the  Bar  Association.  In 
1880  he  was  elected  to  the  state  legislature  and  in  1881 
was  its  speaker,  presiding  with  impartiality,  dignity  and 
honor.  In  1896  he  repeated  this  success  as  president  of 
the  state  senate;  and  in  1900  his  election  to  the  chief  mag- 
istracy of  the  state  followed  as  a  natural  sequence  to  his 
splendid  showing  in  the  other  offices  filled  by  him.  His 
administration  as  governor  will  live  in  the  records  of  the 
state  as  a  period  of  happiness  and  prosperity  in  a  well- 
governed  commonwealth. 

Meanwhile  he  had  served  upon  the  staff  of  Governor 
Straw  in  1872;  had  received  the  degree  of  Bachelor  of 
Arts  from  Dartmouth  college  in  1881 ;  that  of  B.  S.  from 
N.  H.  college  of  Agriculture  and  Mechanic  Arts  in  1901, 
and  the  same  year  LL.D.  from  Dartmouth  college.  He 
presided  over  the  Republican  state  convention  in  1882. 

Governor  Jordan  is  prominent  in  Masonry  and  is  a 
member  of  many  historical  and  other  societies,  bar  asso- 
ciations, etc.  Hel  loves  almost  equally  his  library  and  his 
camp  in  the  woods  and  counts  those  hours  golden  spent  in 
either.  He  is  in  the  directorship  of  two  banks  in  his 
home  town. 

Strong  in  body  and  mind,  loving  and  well-beloved, 
Chester  B.  Jordan  represents  the  best  type  of  the  citizen- 
ship of  the  state  whose  destinies  he  so  ably  guided  as  gov- 
ernor. 


213 


FRANK  WEST  ROLLINS. 

Frank  West  Rollins,  forty-fifth  governor  of  New 
Hampshire  and  father  of  Old  Home  Week,  was  born  in 
Concord,  Feb.  24,  1860,  the  son  of  Senator  Edward 
H.  and  Ellen  (West)  Rollins.  He  was  prepared  for  col- 
lege in  the  public  schools  of  the  city,  supplemented  by 
private  tutoring  with  Prof.  Moses  Wooison,  and  entered 
the  class  of  1881  at  the  Massachusetts  Institute  of  Tech- 
nology, Boston.  Later  he  studied  at  the  Harvard  Law 
school  and  in  the  law  office  of  Hon.  John  Y.  Mugridge, 
and  was  admitted  to  the  bar  in  1882. 

He  practised  his  profession  but  a  short  time,  however, 
finding  his  life  work  in  the  business  of  banking.  He 
entered  the  firm  of  E.  H.  Rollins  &  Sons,  becoming  the 
manager  of  its  Boston  branch,  and  to  it  he  has  given  the 
best  fruits  of  his  ability,  sagacity,  experience  and  enter- 
prise. It  has  steadily  grown  in  importance  and  success 
until  to-day  it  ranks  with  the  best  known  and  most  firmly 
established  institutions  of  the  kind  in  New  England. 

Into  that  portion  of  his  time  not  taken  up  by  business 
demands  and  responsibilities  Mr.  Rollins  has  crowded  a 
variety  of  accomplishments  and  achievements  almost  in- 
credible in  number  and  extent. 

Always  devoted  to  literature  he  has  made  for  himself 
a  reputation  as  a  translator  from  the  French ;  as  a  novel- 
ist; as  an  orator  of  occasion;  and  as  the  author  of  a  guide 
book  to  New  Hampshire  which  has  been  characterized 
as  more  nearly  approaching  the  completeness  and  reli- 

214 


FRANK  WEST  ROLLINS, 
Governor  of  ATcw  Hampshire,  iSgg—igoo 


STATE  BUILDERS 

ability  of  a  Baedeker  than  any  other  similar  publication 
in  this  country. 

In  the  New  Hampshire  National  Guard  he  has  served 
in  all  grades  from  private  in  the  ranks  through  line  and 
staff  to  commander  in  chief. 

The  success  of  former  Governor  Rollins  is  as  remark- 
able in  politics  as  in  other  branches  of  his  life  interest. 
The  first  office  for  which  he  was  a  candidate  was  state 
senator,  and  he  was  elected  from  the  Concord  district  in 
November,  1 894.  Upon  the  assembling  of  the  legislature 
he  was  chosen  president  of  the  upper  branch.  In  Novem- 
ber, 1898,  he  was  triumphantly  elected  governor  of  the 
state  and  as  such  chief  executive  his  fame  spread  from 
ocean  to  ocean  and  even  beyond  the  seas. 

His  greatest  achievement,  perhaps,  was  the  institution 
of  Old  Home  Week,  now  a  fixture  on  the  calendar  of 
the  state,  and  a  festival  whose  significance  and  success 
will  go  on  increasing  as  the  years  roll  by. 

Retirement  from  the  position  of  chief  executive  has 
apparently  made  Mr.  Rollins  only  the  more  active  in  his 
endeavors  for  the  welfare  of  his  state.  For  good  roads 
and  for  forest  preservation  he  is  working  with  able  ardor, 
and  already  great  results  are  in  prospect. 

It  is  not  too  much  to  say  that  Governor  Rollins,  still 
a  young  man,  is  to-day  the  best-known  citizen  of  New 
Hampshire;  and  that  he  deserves  to  be. 


GEORGE  A.  RAMSDELL. 

George  A.  Ramsdell,  governor  of  New  Hampshire  in 
1897  and  1898,  was  born  in  Milford,  March  n,  1834, 
and  died  in  Nashua,  November  16,  1900. 

His  earliest  ancestors  in  America  on  both  sides  were 
English  emigrants  and  among  the  first  settlers  of  Massa- 
chusetts. In  1815  his  grandfather,  Captain  William 
Ramsdell,  purchased  the  farm  in  Milford  which  was  the 
home  of  the  family  for  more  than  seventy-five  years. 
His  mother  was  the  eldest  daughter  of  Rev.  Humphrey 
Moore,  D.  D.,  pastor  of  the  Congregational  church  in 
Milford  for  a  third  of  a  century. 

After  a  course  at  Appleton  academy,  now  McCollom 
institute,  Mont  Vernon,  Mr.  Ramsdell  completed  a  year  at 
Amherst  college,  but  was  unable  by  reason  of  ill  health 
to  finish  the  course.  He  continued  his  studies  inde- 
pendently, however,  and  in  1857  he  was  admitted  to  the 
Hillsborough  county  bar. 

Soon  after  he  located  at  Peterborough  where  he  prac- 
tised for  six  years  until,  in  1864,  he  was  appointed 
clerk  of  the  supreme  court  for  Hillsborough  county 
and  removed  to  Amherst.  In  1866  he  went  with  the 
court  records  to  Nashua  and  there  resided  the  remainder 
of  his  life.  In  1887  he  resigned  the  office  he  had  filled 
so  long  and  faithfully  and  resumed  the  practice  of  his 
profession. 

His  honorable  record  was  recognized  by  Governor 
John  B.  Smith,  who,  on  the  death  of  Judge  Allen  in  1893, 

216 


GEORGE  A.  RAMSDELL, 

Governor  of  Neiv  Hampshire,  1897-1898 


STATE  BUILDERS 

tendered  Mr.  Ramsdell  a  seat  on  the  supreme  bench; 
and  by  Dartmouth  college,  which  conferred  on  him  the 
honorary  degree  of  Master  of  Arts. 

Mr.  Ramsdell's  public  career  included  ten  years' 
service  on  the  board  of  education,  twenty  years  as  trustee 
of  the  public  library  and  many  other  places  of  trust  and 
responsibility  in  Nashua.  In  1870-1-2  he  was  a  member 
of  the  legislature,  where  he  won  an  enviable  reputation 
as  a  debater.  He  was  a  working  member  of  the  constitu- 
tional convention  of  1876  and  represented  the  third  dis- 
trict in  the  governor's  council  in  1891-2.  In  the  Repub- 
lican gubernatorial  convention  of  1894  he  received  a 
flattering  vote,  and  in  1896  the  distinguished  honor  was 
bestowed  upon,  him  of  a  nomination  by  acclamation.  In 
the  election  that  followed  he  received  the  largest  plurality 
of  any  candidate  for  governor  in  the  history  of  the  state; 
and  by  his  administration  proved  that  this  trust  of  his 
fellow  citizens  was  well  founded. 

Governor  Ramsdell  was  prominent  in  the  business  af- 
fairs of  Nashua  as  a  banker  and  as  a  director  in  railroad 
and  manufacturing  companies.  He  was  one  of  the  leaders 
of  the  laymen  in  the  Congregational  denomination  in 
New  Hampshire  and  was  a  32nd  degree  Mason.  A  thor- 
ough student  and  facile  writer,  his  history  of  Milford,  the 
last  important  work  of  his  life,  is  a  valuable  contribution 
to  the  annals  of  the  state. 

He  married,  November  29,  1860,  Eliza  D.  Wilson  of 
Deering,  and  to  them  three  sons  and  a  daughter  were 
given;  Harry  W.,  born  February  i,  1862;  Arthur  D., 
born  August  2,  1863;  Charles  T.,  born  July  7,  1865;  and 
Annie  M.,  born  December  8,  1873. 


217 


BISHOP  DENIS  M.  BRADLEY. 

Rt.  Rev.  Denis  M.  Bradley,  first  Catholic  bishop  of 
Manchester,  was  born  in  Ireland,  February  25,  1846. 
When  he  was  eight  years  of  age  his  mother  came  to 
America  with  her  five  children  and  settled  in  Manches- 
ter. There  the  future  bishop  attended  the  Catholic 
schools  of  the  city  and  later  was  sent  to  the  College  of 
the  Holy  Cross,  Worcester,  Mass.,  from  which  he  gradu- 
ated. He  then  entered  upon  the  study  of  theology  in  the 
St.  Joseph's  Provincial  seminary  at  Troy,  N.  Y.,  and 
was  there  ordained  to  the  priesthood  June  3,  1871,  by  Rt. 
Rev.  Bishop  McQuaid  of  Rochester. 

Manchester  at  that  time  belonged  to  the  diocese  of 
Portland,  and  Bishop  Bacon  appointed  the  young  priest 
to  the  cathedral  in.  the  latter  city,  where  he  remained 
during  the  lifetime  of  that  prelate,  serving  during  the 
last  two  years  as  rector  of  the  cathedral  and  chancellor 
of  the  diocese.  He  continued  to  discharge  the  same 
duties  under  Bishop  Healey  until  June  16,  1880,  when 
he  was  appointed  pastor  of  St.  Joseph's  Church,  Man- 
chester. 

Upon  the  erection  of  the  state  of  New  Hampshire  into 
a  separate  diocese  in  1884  Father  Bradley  was  recom- 
mended for  the  new  see  by  the  bishops  of  New  England 
on  account  of  his  zeal  and  services  in  parochial  duties 
and  his  experience  in  diocesan  affairs,  gained  at  Port- 
land. He  was  accordingly  apointed  by  Pope  Leo  XIII 
and  consecrated  June  u,  1884. 

218 


RT.    REV.  DENIS  M.   BRADLEY, 
Roman  Catholic  Bishop  of  Arew  Hampshire 


STATE  BUILDERS 

Under  his  wise  administration  the  cause  of  Catholicity 
has  prospered  wonderfully  in  New  Hampshire.  H,e 
combines  the  rare  qualities  of  leadership  with  great  ex- 
ecutive ability  and  personal  traits  that  have  endeared 
him  to  hosts  of  non-Catholics,  thus  enabling  him  to  do 
much  towards  allaying  prejudice  against  his  church. 

The  first  Catholic  church  in  New  Hampshire  was  built 
in  .1823  by  Rev.  Virgil  H.  Barber,  a  convert.  Ten  years 
later  another  church  was  erected  at  Dover,  and  for 
twenty  years  these  were  the  only  Catholic  churches  in 
the  state.  In  1847  Rev.  John  B.  Daley,  a  Franciscan 
father,  began  a  church  in  Manchester,  the  Rev.  William 
McDonald  coming  one  year  later,  as  the  first  pastor, 
completed  the  first  Catholic  church  built  in  Manchester. 
The  Sisters  of  Mercy,  the  first  religious  community  es- 
tablished in  New  Hampshire,  came  to  Manchester  under 
Mother  Francis  Warde,  at  the  request  of  Rev.  William 
McDonald,  in  1860.  At  the  time  of  Bishop  Bradley's 
consecration  in  St.  Joseph's  church,  which  is  now  his 
cathedral,  there  were  thirty-seven  churches  and  chapels 
in  the  state  and  thirty-eight  priests.  The  Catholic  popu- 
lation of  New  Hampshire  was  about  50,000  and  there 
were  3,500  pupils  in  the  Catholic  schools. 

These  figures  have  now  been  doubled  and  in  some  cases 
trebled;  in  fact  it  is  doubtful  if  any  other  denomination 
can  point  to  such  a  record  of  rapid  growth  and  progress 
in  so  short  a  time.  To  the  parochial  schools  for  boys  and 
girls  there  have  been  added  high  schools  for  boys,  acade- 
mies for  girls  and  one  college.  Orphan  asylums,  infant 
asylums,  hospitals,  homes  for  aged  women  and  homes  for 
working  girls  are  maintained.  There  are  several  con- 
vents of  brothers  and  a  score  of  convents  of  sisters. 

And  to  Bishop  Bradley  a  great  share  of  the  credit  for 
this  swift  but  solid  growth  and  prosperity  is  due  and  is 
freelv  accorded. 


219 


JOHN  BUTLER  SMITH. 

John  Butler  Smith,  former  governor  of  New  Hamp- 
shire, was  born  in  Saxton's  River  village,  Vermont,  April 
12,  1838.  His  parents  moved  to  Hillsborough,  N.  H., 
in  1847,  where  as  boy  and  man  he  has  since  chiefly  lived. 
Educated  in  the  public  schools  of  Hillsborough,  and  at 
Francestown  academy.  Has  followed  the  business  of 
woollen  manufacturing,  which  was  his  father's  occupa- 
tion. Is  now  president  and  chief  owner  of  the  Contoo- 
cook  Mills  company,  manufacturing  knit  goods,  employ- 
ing two  hundred  and  fifty  hands,  having  stores  in  Boston 
and  New  York  for  the  sale  of  its  products,  which  have 
attained  an  enviable  reputation.  Such  establishments  as 
this  in  the  hands  of  such  men,  of  whom  Mr.  Smith  mav 
be  said  to  be  a  type,  have  done  much  to  build  up  our  state, 
and  to  offset  the  shrinkage  in  population  and  values  in  the 
farming  districts,  by  the  growth  of  the  factory  villages. 
Mr.  Smith  is  president  of  the  Hillsborough  guaranty  sav- 
ings bank. 

In  religion  he  is  a  Congregationalist,  of  which  church 
he  is  a  devout  member.  He  married  Emma  Lavender 
of  Boston,  Mass.,  an  accomplished  Christian  lady,  with 
agreeable  and  winning  manners,  whose  affability  and 
womanly,  tact  have  been  eminently  useful  to  her  husband 
in  all  the  course  of  his  business  and  official  life.  Of 
three  children  born  to  them,  Butler  Lavender,  the  first- 
born, died  at  the  age  of  two  years.  Archibald  Lavender 
and  Norman  are  still  living. 

Besides   his   manufacturing   and   mercantile   interests 


220 


JOHN  B.  SMITH, 

Governor  of  New  Hampshire,  1893-1894 


STATE  BUILDERS 

Mr.  Smith  is  a  considerable  owner  of  real  estate  in  Bos- 
ton and  in  various  cities  and  towns  of  New  Hampshire. 
He  has,  however,  attained  his  prominence  chiefly  in  po- 
litical and  official  life.  In  1884  was  alternate  to>  the  Chi- 
cago national  Republican  convention.  Same  year  an 
elector  on  the  Republican  ticket.  In  1887-9  member  of 
the  Governor's  council.  In  1890  chairman  of  state  central 
committee.  In  1888  Mr.  Smith  was  prominent  in  the 
republican  state  convention  for  nomination  to  the 
governorship,  but  was  defeated,  Hon.  D.  H.  Goodell,  of 
Antrim,  being  the  successful  contestant.  Urged  to  enter 
the  lists  again  in  1890  he  declined  in  favor  of  his  warm 
friend  and  the  more  "logical  candidate"  Hon.  Hiram 
A.  Tuttle.  In  1892,  however,  the  "logic  of  politics" 
pointed  very  strongly  to  Mr.  Smith  as  the  coming 
man;  indeed  in  the  months  immediately  preceding  the 
convention  hardly  any  other  name  was  mentioned  in  con- 
nection with  the  nomination  to  the  governorship  on  the 
part  of  the  republicans.  And  so  it  happened  in  the  state 
convention  of  the  party  in  September,  Mr.  Smith  was 
greatly  honored  by  a  unanimous  nomination  by  acclama- 
tion. The  campaign  which  followed  was  a  very  warm 
and  spirited  one:  almost  we  might  say  the  last  of  its 
kind  in  this  state,  a  kind  which  began  with  "Tippecanoe 
and  Tyler  too,"  and  continued  through  such  campaigns 
as  Fremont's,  Grant's  and  the  last  Harrison's.  Although 
the  campaign  of  '92  had  plenty  of  accessories  of  the 
torch-light  and  the  drum,  it  was  pre-eminently  a  speech- 
making  canvass.  Large  and  enthusiastic  meetings  were 
held  in  all  the  considerable  towns  of  the  state,  and  in  all 
the  cities, — and  to  such  good  purpose  that  although  in 
many  states  where  the  republicans  had  been  uniformly 
victorious  .they  suffered  miserable  defeat,  and  in  the 
nation  the  loss  of  the  presidency  and  congress  in  both 
branches,  yet  New  Hampshire  made  substantial  gains  for 
the  Republicans.  Mr.  Smith  was  elected  by  the  vote  of 


STATE  BUILDERS 

the  people  at  the  polls,  and  the  state  legislature  was  re- 
publican, in  both  houses  by  an  overwhelming  majority. 

Governor  Smith  served  in  this  high  office  the  cus- 
tomary two  years,  '93-'95,  with  credit  and  distinction. 
Since  that  time  he  has  held  no  public  office,  although 
several  times  named  in  connection  with  high  and  honor- 
able places. 

The  real  builders  of  our  good  state  are  men  like  the 
subject  of  this  brief  sketch,  who  have  risen  by  sheer  force 
of  genius  and  character,  from  humble  yet  honorable  con- 
ditions to  prominence  and  influence  in  the  community. 


222 


HIRAM  A.   TUTTLE, 

Governor  of  New  Hampshire,  1891-1892 


HIRAM  A.  TUTTLE. 

Hiram  A.  Tuttle,  former  governor  of  the  state  of 
New  Hampshire  and  one  of  her  most  successful  and  sub- 
stantial business  men,  was  born  in  the  town  of  Barn- 
stead  in  1837.  From  boyhood  he  earned  his  own  living 
and  made  his  own  way  in  the  world,  beginning  as  a 
farmer  and  shoemaker.  At  the  age  of  17  he  entered 
the  employ  of  a  clothing  house,  soon  became  the 
manager  of  its  branch  establishment  in  Pittsfield  and  not 
long  afterwards  the  proprietor.  For  two  score  years 
and  more  he  has  continued  this  business,  constantly  in- 
creasing its  volume  and  scope  and  earning  far  and  wide 
the  reputation  of  being  as  honest  as  he  is  affable,  as 
enterprising  as  he  is  sagacious.  Mr.  Tuttle  has  also 
engaged  very  successfully  in  other  lines  oi  business,  bank- 
ing, lumbering,  etc.  His  wealth,  his  influence  and  his 
business  ability  and  experience  are  always  ready  to  serve 
the  development  of  new  industries,  the  increase  of  the 
material  resources  of  his  town,  county  and  state.  In 
Pittsfield  he  is  a  trustee  of  the  savings  bank,  a  director 
in  the  National  bank  and  a  trustee  of  the  academy.  The 
great  success  of  a  recent  Old  Home  Day  celebration  in 
the  town  was  largely  due  to  his  efforts  and  backing. 

In  1873  and  1874  Mr.  Tuttle  was  elected  a  member  of 
the  legislature  from  the  town  of  Pittsfield;  in  1876  he 
served  on  the  staff  of  Governor  Person  C.  Cheney,  with 
the  rank  of  colonel;  in  1878  he  was  a  member  of  the 
governor's  council,  and  a  year  later  was  re-elected  under 

223 


STATE  BUILDERS 

the  new  constitution  for  a  term  of  two  years.  Proving 
himself  in  all  these  capacities  a  valuable  public  servant, 
his  name  was  presented  to  the  state  convention  of  the 
Republican  party  in  1888  as  a  candidate  for  the  guber- 
natorial nomination.  This  he  did  not  receive  at  the  hands 
of  that  convention,  but  in  1890  the  honor  was  given  him 
almost  unanimously,  followed  by  a  spirited  and  successful 
campaign  at  the  polls. 

Taking  his  seat  in  January,  1891,  as  governor  of  the 
commonwealth  of  Xew  Hampshire  Mr.  Tuttle  discharged 
the  important  duties  of  that  position  so  faithfully  and 
well  that  his  administration  will  always  be  of  good 
rqDute  in  the  history  of  the  state.  Since  its  close  he  has 
devoted  himself  just  as  sincerely  as  a  private  citizen  as 
when  the  chief  executive  to  the  best  interests  of  New 
Hampshire.  Many  positions  demanding  fidelity  and 
ability  of  the  highest  order  he  has  filled  and  is  still  filling 
in  both  public  and  private  life. 

In  very  truth  one  of  the  bulwarks  of  the  community 
is  Hiram  A.  Tuttle  of  Pittsfield,  type  of  the  best  as  kind 
friend,  good  citizen,  public-spirited  and  successful  man  of 
affairs. 


224 


FRANK  P.  CARPENTER 


FRANK  P.   CARPENTER. 

There  are  in  every  community  men  who  never  pose  in 
the  public  eye;  who  attend  steadfastly  and  successfully 
to  their  own  affairs  and  expect  others  to  do  likewise; 
but  who  in  any  public  need  or  emergency,  on  the  occa- 
sion of  any  unusual  demand  for  individual  or  civic 
action,  can  be  counted  upon  as  in  the  forefront  of  those 
willing  to  do  their  part  and  to  do  it  well.  Such  men  as 
these  command  the  heartiest  respect  and  admiration  of 
their  fellow  citizens.  They  are  the  bulwarks  of  munici- 
pal, state  and  national  prosperity;  the  great  leavening 
force  that  makes  the  heterogeneous  units  of  our  United 
States  into  the  world's  greatest  power  for  good. 

The  city  of  Manchester,  the  metropolis  of  New  Hamp- 
shire, has  fully  her  share  of  such  men;  and  one  of  them 
whose  name  will  spring  at  once  to  the  lips  of  those  ac- 
quainted with  her  municipal  life  is  that  of  Frank  P. 
Carpenter,  successful  manufacturer,  public-spirited  citi- 
zen, faithful  occupant  of  positions  of  responsibility  and 
trust. 

Mr.  Carpenter  was  born  October  28,  1845,  and  is 
therefore  to-day  in  the  very  prime  of  life.  He  was  edu- 
cated in  the  schools  of  the  city  of  Concord,  and  to<  the 
foundation  of  learning  there  gained  he  has  added  those 
fruits  of  culture  which  can  come  only  from  wide  travel, 
cultured  intercourse  and  personal  investigation. 

In  1872  Mr.  Carpenter  married  Kienora  Blood, 
daughter  of  the  late  Aretas  Blood,  whose  name  stands 

225 


STATE  BUILDERS 

among  the  highest  for  honor  and  usefulness  in  the  annals 
of  the  city  of  Manchester.  To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Carpenter 
two  children  have  been  born,  Aretas  13.  and  Mary  E. 
Carpenter. 

For  more  than  a  quarter  of  a  century,  or  since  1876, 
Mr.  Carpenter  has  'been  adding  substantially  to  the  ma- 
terial wealth  and  magnificent  sum  total  of  products  of  the 
city  of  Manchester,  as  a  paper  manufacturer. 

In  politics  he  is  a  Democrat  of  that  school  which 
stands  for  the  old  traditions  and  policies  of  the  party, 
and  does  not  follow  the  vain  imaginings  of  some  recent 
leaders.  An  example  of  Mr.  Carpenter's  devotion  to  the 
best  interests  of  his  city  is  his  service  in  the  difficult  and 
responsible  position  of  police  commissioner. 

Mr.  Carpenter  attends  the  Franklin  street  Congrega- 
tional church.  He  is  not  a  member  of  secret  societies. 


226 


MARY  BAKER  G.  EDDY 


MARY  BAKER  G.  EDDY. 

THE  DISCOVERER  AND   FOUNDER   OF   CHRISTIAN    SCIENCE. 

The  advent  in  earthly  history  of  a  strong  and  vigorous 
personality  marks  an  era  in  human  affairs,  especially 
when  the  individual  has  a  distinct  capacity  for  leadership, 
and  touches  the  life  of  the  people  upon  a  plane  of  vital 
issues.  The  rare  quality  of  Mazzini's  nature  and  mental 
equipment  would  have  made  him  a  conspicuous  figure 
among  his  contemporaries,  in  any  event,  but  for  one  of 
his  endowment  and  ideals  to  become  the  inspired  and 
inspiring  leader  of  a  great  religious  and  democratic  idea, 
was  to  date  an  epoch  in  the  chronicles  of  his  time. 

The  nineteenth  century  has  given  to  America  a  galaxy 
of  rare  and  gifted  women  who  have  achieved  distinction 
in  the  fields  of  art,  education,  literature  and  philanthropy, 
and  won  deserved  recognition  as  the  benefactors  of  man- 
kind, and  to  this  number  New  Hampshire  has  contributed 
one,  who  in  the  uniqueness  of  her  personality,  the 
strength  and  nobility  of  her  character,  the  keenness  and 
penetration  of  her  spiritual  perception,  and  the  patient 
continuance  of  her  well  doing,  would  have  acquired  an 
easy  pre-eminence;  but  it  is  when  she  is  considered  with 
respect  to  the  exalted  nature  of  her  message, — its  signifi- 
cance to  the  solution  of  the  world's  profoundest,  most 
pressing  problems, — and  the  growth  and  influence  of 
the  movement  she  has  inaugurated  and  of  which  she  is 
the  recognized  leader,  that  Mary  Baker  Eddy  is  seen  to 
stand  quite  alone. 

227 


STATE  BUILDERS 

Her  ancestors  in  one  line  were  Scotch  Covenanters, 
whose  historic  devotion  to  faith  and  fatherland  was 
honored  and  preserved  by  their  sturdy  representatives 
who  lived  among-  the  beautiful  and  inspiring  hills  of  the 
Granite  State.  Capt.  Joseph  Baker,  Mrs.  Eddy's  great- 
grandfather, was  a  prominent  citizen  and  a  mem1>er  of 
the  Provincial  Congress,  from  which  he  held  a  commis- 
sion. He  married  Hannah,  the  daughter  of  John  Love- 
well,  who  made  himself  famous  in  the  Indian  wrars  as 
the  Miles  Standish  of  the  North  Colonies,  and  Mrs. 
Baker  inherited  a  share  of  the  ample  acres  which  were 
bestowed  upon  her  father  by  the  Xew  Hampshire  Colony 
in  recognition  of  the  distinguished  services  he  had  ren- 
dered. Their  son,  Joseph  Baker,  2nd,  Mrs.  Eddy's 
grandfather,  married  Marian  Moore,  and  a  part  of  their 
"old  homestead"  which  lay  in  the  adjoining  towns  of 
Concord  and  Bow  is  still  in  the  possession  of  one  of  their 
descendants. 

Hid  away  from  the  world's  intrusion,  these  early 
settlers  spent  their  quiet  and  thoughtful  years  in  close 
touch  with  nature,  "companioning  with  the  sky."  They 
knew  far  less  of  the  world's  fitful  philosophies  than  of 
the  Ten  Commandments  and  the  Golden  Rule.  Their 
habits  were  simple,  wholesome,  Christian,  and  their 
ideals,  their  impulses,  and  their  integrities  constituted 
the  greater  patrimony  of  their  children,  who  were  all 
made  rich  thereby. 

Joseph  and  Marian  Baker  had  thirteen  children,  and 
Mark,  the  youngest,  married  Abigail  Ambrose,  the 
daughter  of  Deacon  Nathaniel  Ambrose,  a  prominent 
citizen  and  religious  leader  of  Pembroke.  They  made 
their  home  in  Bow,  and  here  Mary,  the  youngest  of 
their  six  children,  was  born. 

Mrs.  Eddy's  father  was  a  man  of  the  serious,  asser- 
tive, intellectual  type  of  his  ancestors.  Her  mother  was 

228 


STATE  BUILDERS 

a  woman  of  unusual  winsomeness,  of  deeply  thoughtful 
habit  and  gentle  strength.  In  Mrs.  Eddy's  childhood  the 
family  moved  to  the  village  of  Tilton,  and  here  they  were 
known  intimately  to  one  who  has  said  of  her  mother 
that  her  presence  was  like  the  gentle  dew,  her  character 
distinguished  for  its  excellences,  her  thought  the  com- 
panion of  great  themes,  and  her  life  a  daily  illustration 
of  Christian  faith. 

The  Baker  home  was  a  generous  and  hospitable  one, 
a  haven  of  rest  for  ministers,  and  as  a  result  in  part  of 
its  earnest  religious  atmosphere,  Alary  was  led  to  think 
of  the  deeper  things  of  life  even  at  a  very  early  age. 
The  severe  and  sombre  aspects  of  the  Calvinistic 
theology  familiarly  discussed  in  her  presence,  her 
mother's  earnest  piety,  and  the  habit  of  logical  inquiry 
with  which  she  naturally  approached  every  subject. — 
these  inevitably  precipitated  in  the  alert  mind  of  this 
meditative  girl  a  struggle  between  the  creedal  dogma- 
tism of  her  parents  and  some  of  her  religious  teachers, 
and  the  spiritual  protest  and  assertive  freedom  of  her 
own  intuitive  thought;  and  this  struggle,  both  in  its 
nature  and  its  outcome,  gave  intimation  of  the  signifi- 
cant part  she  was  to  assume  in  the  cause  of  religious 
retform. 

From  early  childhood  she  was  impelled  by  a  longing 
for  truth,  an  instinctive  adherence  to  all  that  is  good  and 
beautiful,  "a  desire,"  as  she  has  said,  "for  something 
higher  and  better  than  matter,  and  apart  from  it,"  and 
her  mother's  appreciative  and  considerate  attitude 
toward  her  during  her  early  experiences  of  the  move- 
ment and  impulse  of  the  spirit  within,  encouraged  her 
recognition  of  the  value  and  authority  of  her  own  spon- 
taneous convictions,  and  of  the  importance  of  loyalty 
to  them. 

The  son  of  Rev.  Enoch  Corser,  A.  M.,  who  knew  Mary 

229 


STATE  BUILDERS 

Baker  as  a  neighbor  girl,  has  written  of  her  at  this 
time: — "My  father,  Mrs.  Eddy's  pastor,  and  for  a  time 
teacher, — held  her  in  the  highest  esteem;  in  fact,  he 
considered  her,  even  at  an  early  age,  superior  both 
intellectually  and  spiritually,  .  .  .  and  greatly  enjoyed 
talking  with  her.  .  .  .  She  was  about  fifteen  when  I 
first  knew  her,  and  I  well  remember  her  gift  of  expres- 
sion, which  was  very  marked.  She  and  my  father  used 
to  converse  on  deep  subjects  frequently, — too  deep  for 
me.  She  was  always  pure  and  good,  and  she  stands 
out  in  my  mind  as  his  (father's)  brightest  pupil.  I  also 
remember  her  great  admiration  for  him." 

In  speaking  of  this  period  of  her  life  Mrs.  Eddy  has 
referred  in  the  most  affectionate  terms  to  the  joy  and 
inspiration  of  her  associations  with  her  brother  Albert, 
who,  though  he  passed  away  when  but  relatively  young, 
had  attained  to  eminence  in  his  profession,  the  law,  and 
been  tendered  high  political  preferment  at  the  hands  of 
his  fellow  citizens.  He  possessed  rare  intellectual  gifts 
and  a  most  lovable  nature.  He  was  greatly  interested  in 
metaphysics,  and  found  an  apt  and  absorbing  listener  in 
his  sister,  over  whom  he  exerted  a  stimulating  and  help- 
ful influence.  By  him  she  was  introduced  to  the  classic 
languages,  and  quickened  in  that  love  of  good  literature, 
and  those  habits  of  close  application,  analysis,  and  dis- 
crimination which  gave  zest  to  her  studies  and  easy  mas- 
tery of  her  academic  course,  and  which  were  destined  to 
render  such  service  in  the  advancement  of  her  life  work. 

To  one  of  her  sensitive,  poetic  mind,  such  a  loving  af- 
filiation and  friendship  could  but  be  most  nourishing  and 
eventful.  Intelligent  sympathy  is  the  sunshine  in  which 
refined  impulses  and  capacities  come  to  their  fullest  blos- 
soming, and  in  this  respect  the  appreciative  affection  of 
her  mother  and  brother  supplemented  the  appeal  of  the 
gentle  and  picturesque  aspects  of  that  beautiful  world 

230 


STATE  BUILDERS 

which  compassed  her  youthful  vision.  Many  verses 
written  at  this  time  express  in  fragrant  fancy  and  spiritu- 
ally suggestive  figure  the  delicacy  of  her  interpretation  of 
nature  and  of  life. 

Mrs.  Eddy's  history  as  a  non-conformist  and  champion 
of  religious  freedom  was  entered  upon  at  the  age  of 
fourteen,  when  she  was  examined,  in  solemn  conclave, 
for  admission  to  the  Congregational  church,  of  which 
her  parents  had  been  active  members  for  many  years. 
In  one  of  the  autobiographical  reminiscences  contained 
in  her  little  book  called  "Retrospection  and  Introspec- 
tion," she  has  graphically  outlined  the  surroundings  and 
circumstances  under  which  a  modest  but  daring  girl  stood 
by  her  sense  of  truth  against  the  rigid  theology  which 
her  father  maintained  with  unyielding  insistence.  The 
scene  becomes  well  nigh  dramatic  as  we  see  this  gentle, 
retiring  child  brought  before  her  sedate  but  startled 
questioners,  and  hear  her  declare  in  the  fervor  of  a  feel- 
ing so  intense  as  to  produce  an  alarming  illness,  that  she 
is  ready  to  take  her  chances  with  "unbelievers"  and 
hazard  the  dreadful  judgments  resting  upon  them,  rather 
than  subscribe  to  the  doctrine  of  predestination  against 
which  her  deepest  spiritual  convictions  were  in  pro- 
nounced revolt. 

In  the  midst  of  her  trial  and  her  tears,  Love's  ministry 
was  expressed  in  her  mother's  words  of  assuring  con- 
fidence and  tender  sympathy,  and  there  was  brought  to 
her  "the  comforts  of  God."  The  sustaining  power  of 
the  divine  presence  was  so  realized  that  her  perturbation 
and  consequent  illness  were  laid  aside  as  a  garment,  and 
she  felt  strengthened  and  refreshed  in  the  conscious- 
ness of  her  faithfulness  to  the  voice  within.  Despite 
her  unusual  attitude  and  astonishing  independence  of 
thought,  she  was  admitted,  to  the  church  and  received 
her  pastor's  blessing. 

231 


STATE  BUILDERS 

We  have  but  to  enlarge  the  setting  of  this  scene,  and 
give  increase  of  years  and  experience,  of  trials  and  tri- 
umphs, to  embrace  the  story  of  her  after  life's  heroic 
stand  for  a  present  and  demonstrable  apprehension  of 
Truth,  as  opposed  to  traditional  and  inefficient  beliefs, 
for  the  spiritual  and  saving  sense  of  the  Word,  as  op- 
posed to  the  conventionally  accepted  interpretations  of 
ecclesiastical  authority,  for  intellectual  and  religious 
freedom  as  opposed  to  contented  conformity,  and  for  the 
spiritual  and  divine  as  opposed  to  the  material  and 
human. 

Remembering  her  responsiveness  to  spiritual  appeal, 
one  can  but  think  with  what  gladness  she  would  have 
welcomed,  and  with  what  avidity  she  would  have  appro- 
priated, at  this  time,  that  illumination  of  the  Word  of 
God,  and  of  the  duty  and  privilege  of  life,  which, 
through  her  patient  truth-seeking  in  the  lonely  problem- 
solving  years,  has  now  become  the  inheritance  of  the 
children  of  men.  Her  way  of  escape  from  the  confusions 
of  dogma,  and  the  tragedies  of  human  experience,  lay 
through  that  region  of  awakening  convictions  which  is 
beset  by  conflicting  doubts  within  and  denials  without. 
Alone,  with  no  one  to  understand,  no  one  to  guide  or 
support  in  the  hour  of  darkness,  temptation  and  grief, 
save  infinite  Love,  she  pressed  on  through  faith  in  Him, 
to  find  after  many  years  a  satisfying  portion  for  herself, 
and  to  demonstrate  for  her  brother  man  the  possible 
fulfillment  of  a  new  and  larger  hope. 

In  1843  she  married  Col.  George  Washington  Glover, 
a  prominent  and  esteemed  citizen  of  Charleston,  S.  C, 
where  she  went  to  found  a  home;  but  her  wedded  joy 
was  of  brief  duration.  In  less  than  a  year  death  severed 
the  happy  union  and  she  returned  to  her  father's  house, 
where,  four  months  later,  her  only  child  was  born.  The 
loss  of  her  husband's  property  brought  a  burdensome 

232 


STATE  BUILDERS 

sense  of  dependence,  while  the  death  of  her  mother 
brought  increase  of  loneliness  and  grief,  but  the  climax 
of  her  suffering  was  not  reached  until  she  was  compelled, 
through  consideration  for  trying  'family  circumstances, 
to  part  with  her  little  boy,  who  was  placed  in  charge  of 
a  lady  in  a  distant  part  of  the  State. 

Crushed  but  yet  hopeful,  and  impelled  by  the  longing 
of  her  mother-heart  for  sympathy  and  a  home  for  her- 
self and  boy,  she  consented  to  a  second  marriage,  with 
Daniel  Patterson,  D.  D.  S.,  which  proved  most  unfortu- 
nate and  unhappy.  After  its  consummation  her  husband 
denied  her  the  anticipated  joy  of  having  her  son  with 
them,  and  made  necessary  the  removal  of  the  latter  to  a 
distant  state.  They  were  thus  wholly  separated,  and  by 
means  of  a  false  report,  and  a  letter  confirming  it,  she 
was  led  to  mourn  her  little  one  as  dead.  Ultimately  she 
was  compelled  to  ask  for  a  legal  separation  from  Dr. 
Patterson,  which  was  granted  in  Salem,  Mass.,  while  he 
was  in  Littleton.  X.  H.,  and  on  the  ground  of  his  adul- 
tery. This  closed  the  saddest  chapter  that  can  possibly 
enter  into  a  pure  woman's  life,  and  over  which  she  can 
but  cast  the  mantle  of  silence.  In  the  furnace  o>f  bitter 
experience  earth's  proffered  and  alluring  joys  had 
shrunken  to  their  native  nothingness,  nevertheless,  in  her 
fiery  trial  she  clung  steadfastly  to  her  childhood's  faith 
in  God,  and  thus  in  the  end  the  gold  came  forth  more 
pure. 

Loyalty  to  her  own  high  ideals,  regardless  of  the 
thought  and  conduct  of  others,  was  the  Aegis  of  her 
safety.  She  longed  ever  for  the  knowledge  of  God,  and 
conformity  to  His  will,  and  she  proved  in  her  own  dark 
days  that  "Truth  and  Love  come  .  .  .  nearer  us  in  the 
hour  of  woe,  when  strong  faith  wrestles  and  prevails 
through  the  understanding  of  God."*  In  the  loom  of 
a  common  life,  she  was  weaving  a  web  "whose  texture 

*  Science  and  Health,  p.  567. 

233 


STATE  BUILDERS 

on  the  other  side  was  more  divinely  fair"  than  that  which 
she  saw  ofttimes  through  tears. 

In  all  these  years  she  was  alive  to  every  progressive 
idea,  and  was  seeking  for  truth  in  many  lines  of  investi- 
gation. The  world's  faiths  and  theories  were  looked 
into,  their  cup  of  promise  tasted,  and  then  removed  for- 
ever from  her  lips.  Allopathy  and  homeopathy  were 
studied  to  thereby  improve  her  health.  General  litera- 
ture and  theology  received  much  attention,  and  her  pen 
was  busied  during  many  years  in  supplying  the  demand 
upon  it  for  newspaper  and  magazine  articles.  More 
than  all  other  books,  however,  she  honored  the  Bible, 
which  became  her  constant  and  quickening  companion. 
To  the  faithful  study  of  its  teachings  and  meditation 
thereon,  she  traces  her  every  spiritual  gain.  It  alone 
pointed  out  and  illumined  her  ascending  path  to  the 
towering  heights  of  Christian  Science. 

The  progressive  steps  toward  a  higher  apprehension 
of  Truth  were  taken  tentatively  as  she  found  her  footing 
in  the  relative  obscurity  of  prevailing  belief  and  material 
experiment.  Faith  was  feeling  its  way  to  understand- 
ing, and  the  physical  basis  of  therapeutics  was  being 
replaced  by  an  ever-strengthening  conviction  that  the 
explanation  of  all  phenomena  was  to  be  found  in  the 
mental  realm.  Medical  experience  and  observation  had 
proved  convincingly  that  the  drug  factor  could  be  elimi- 
nated from  the  healing  equation  without  sensibly  impair- 
ing its  effectiveness,  and  the  accumulation  of  confirming 
sense  evidence  kept  pace  with  the  growing  realization  of 
the  naturalness  and  superiority  of  the  spiritual  healings 
of  Jesus.  In  speaking  of  these  first  glimpses  of  the  dawn- 
ing day  she  has  said,  "When  the  door  opened,  I  was 
waiting  and  watching.  My  heart  knew  its  Redeemer. 
Soulless  famine  had  fled.  Being  was  beautiful,  its  sub- 
stance, cause  and  currents  were  God  and  His  idea." 

234 


STATE  BUILDERS 

The  climax  of  many  years  of  prayerful  seeking  if 
haply  she  might  find  God,  was  reached  in  1866,  when, 
through  a  travail  of  suffering  and  of  faith,  she  arrived 
at  a  scientific  certainty  that  "all  causation  is  Mind,"  and 
that  this  apprehension  is  practically  available  in  the  heal- 
ing of  disease.  Having  experienced  a  serious  accident, 
which  left  her  in  a  painful  and  alarming  physical  condi- 
tion that  neither  medicine  nor  surgery  could  remove, 
in  despair  of  all  human  aid,  she  turned  with  a  sense  of 
supreme  need  and  childlike  faith  to  her  heavenly  Father, 
and  was  immediately  healed  of  her  infirmity  and  arose 
well  and  rejoicing,  to  the  astonishment  of  her  physician 
and  friends.  The  satisfying  demonstration  and  con- 
sciousness of  the  divine  presence  were  hers.  "The  Great 
Discovery"  had  been  made,  though  as  yet  she  could  not 
explain  the  rule  and  order  of  Truth's  appearing.  "I  had 
learned,"  she  says,  "that  Mind  reconstructed  the  body, 
and  that  nothing  else  could.  How  it  was  done  the 
spiritual  Science  of  Mind  must  reveal.  It  was  a  mystery 
to  me  then,  but  I  have  since  understood  it."* 

To  the  solution  of  this  problem  she  now  consecrated 
her  life.  Alone  with  God,  in  persistent  and  prayerful 
study  of  the  Bible,  she  essayed  to  find  for  her  fellowmen 
that  expression  of  the  order  of  Truth's  unfoldment  which 
brings  it  into  saving  relationship  with  the  human  con- 
sciousness, man's  sense  of  limitation  and  of  need.  With 
ever-increasing  clearness  she  recognized  that  Jesus  must 
have  been  both  "a  natural  and  divine  scientist,"!  and 
that  he  acted  in  conformity  with  a  divine  law  which  must 
be  continuously  operative  and  correspondingly  available 
to  all  those  who  through  spiritual  apprehension  and 
obedience  of  heart  become  responsive  to  its  demands. 
Jesus'  assurance,  "Lo,  I  am  with  you  alway,  even  unto 
the  end  of  the  world,"  must  mean  that  the  manifestations 

*  Retrospection  and  Introspection,  pp.  26  and  34. 
t  Retrospection  and  Introspection,  p.  31. 

235 


STATE  BUILDERS 

of  spiritual  supremacy  incident  to  the  Christ  life  in  him 
were  to  attend  the  Christ  life  in  all  who  received  him, 
for  "to  them  gave  he  power  to  become  the  Sons  of  God, 
even  to  them  that  believe  on  his  name."  ''The  divine 
hand,"  she  writes,,  "led  me  into  a  new  world  of  light 
and  life.  ...  I  had  learned  that  thought  must  be  spirit- 
ualized, in  order  to  apprehend  Spirit.  It  must  become 
honest,  unselfish  and  pure,  in  order  to  have  the  least 
understanding  of  God  in  Divine  Science.  "Our  reliance 
upon  material  things  must  be  transferred  to  a  perception 
of  and  dependence  on  spiritual  things.  For  Spirit  to 
be  supreme  in  demonstration  it  must  be  supreme  in  our 
affections.  .  .  .  The  first  spontaneous  motion  of  Truth 
and  Love,  acting  through  Christian  Science  on  my 
roused  consciousness,  banished  at  once  and  forever  the 
fundamental  error  of  faith  in  things  material.  .  .  .  Into 
mortal  mind's  material  obliquity  I  gazed,  and  stood 
abashed.  .  .  .  Frozen  fountains  were  unsealed.  Erudite 
systems  of  philosophy  and  religion  melted,  for  Love 
unveiled  the  healing  promise  and  potency  of  a  present 
spiritual  afflatus.  It  was  the  Gospel  of  healing,  on  its 
divinely  appointed  human  mission,  bearing  on  its  white 
wings,  to  my  apprehension,  'the  beauty  of  holiness/ 
even  the  possibilities  of  spiritual  insight,  knowledge 
and  being."* 

Three  years  were  spent  in  retirement  from  the  world, 
before  she  began  to  communicate  her  thought  to  others, 
and  ventured  to  undertake  the  fulfillment  of  the  Lord's 
command  to  preach  the  gospel  and  heal  the  sick. 

As  early  as  1862  she  began  to  make  notes  of  her 
meditations,  and  especially  on  the  spiritual  meaning  of 
the  scriptures,  and  the  practical  relation  of  holiness  to 
health,  but  of  these  early  endeavors  to  express  the  truths 
of  Christian  Science  she  has  written,  they  were  "feeble 
attempts  to  state  the  Principle  and  practice  of  Christian 

*  Retrospection  and  Introspection,  pp.  33-38. 

236 


STATE  BUILDERS 

healing,  and  are  not  complete  or  satisfactory  expositions 
of  truth.  To-day,  though  rejoicing  in  some  progress,  she 
(the  author)  finds  herself  a  willing  disciple  at  the 
heavenly  gate,  waiting  for  the  mind  of  Christ.* 

The  first  statement  of  her  new  apprehensions  to  appear 
in  print,  was  a  pamphlet  entitled  "The  Science  of  Man," 
published  in  1870.  Later  on  its  substance  was  embodied 
in  the  chapter  headed  "Recapitulation"  in  her  monu- 
mental work,  ''Science  and  Health  with  Key  to  the 
Scriptures,"  the  text-book  of  Christian  Science,  which 
was  published  in  1875. 

While  the  physical  healing  attracted  the  more  immedi- 
ate attention,  bringing  as  it  did  a  satisfying  assurance  of 
the  truth  of  her  teaching  to  unnumbered  beneficiaries, 
spiritual  healing,  the  acquirement  of  the  Mind  that  was 
in  Christ  Jesus,  was  ever  emphasized  as  essential  to 
immunity  from  disease,  since  health  is  but  the  manifesta- 
tion of  right  consciousness.  Teaching  therefore  was 
regarded  of  fundamental  importance,  and  that  which  has 
developed  into  a  broad  and  inclusive  system  of  instruc- 
tion was  begun  in  1867  with  a  single  pupil.  The  number 
of  students  from  all  parts  of  America  and  from  Europe 
had  so  increased  that  in  1881  the  Massachusetts  Meta- 
physical College  was  organized,  and  privileged  by  a 
charter  from  the  state  to  give  instruction  in  Christian 
Science  Mind  Healing. 

Of  this  College  Mrs.  Eddy  became  the  President  and 
chief  instructor,  and  during  the  first  eight  years  of  its 
history  about  four  thousand  students  were  admitted  to 
her  primary  or  normal  classes.  In  1889,  while  at  the 
height  of  its  prosperity,  this  work  was  laid  aside  and  the 
college  temporarily  closed  that  she  might  find  undis- 
turbed opportunity  for  the  revision  of  "Science  and 
Health."  Later,  the  College  was  reopened,  and  is  now 
an  important  adjunct  of  the  Christian  Science  move- 

*  Science  and  Health,  Pref.  p.  ix. 

237 


STATE  BUILDERS 

ment.  Its  annual  session  is  open  to  a  selected  number  of 
students  who  have  completed  a  primary  course  under 
authorized  instructors,  and  who  are  recommended  by 
their  intelligence  and  their  works  to  become  teachers 
of  Christian  Science. 

Her  marriage  with  Dr.  Asa  G.  Eddy,  a  man  of  the 
noblest  type,  occurred  in  1877.  Their  union  was  spiritual 
and  blessed,  and  he  was  her  devoted  and  effective 
co-laborer,  both  in  healing  and  teaching,  up  to  the  time 
when  he  passed  away,  in  1882. 

Multiplied  and  ever-expanding  events  crowded  upon 
each  other  in  these  early  years  of  the  history  of  the 
Christian  Science  movement. 

The  first  official  organ,  the  Christian  Science  Journal, 
a  monthly  periodical,  was  founded  April,  1883,  of  which 
Mrs.  Eddy  became  the  editor,  publisher  and  chief 
contributor.  To  this  has  since  been  added  the  Christian 
Science  Sentinel,  a  weekly,  and  Der  Christian  Science 
Herold,  a  monthly  issued  in  the  German  language. 

The  first  Christian  Science  association  was  organized 
in  Boston  in  1876,  and  its  growth  and  duplication 
resulted  in  a  national  federation  of  state  associations, 
which  was  convened  in  New  York  in  1886. 

The  first  Christian  Science  Church,  now  known  as 
"The  Mother  Church,"  was  chartered  in  June,  1879,  and 
Mrs.  Eddy  was  immediately  called  to  its  pastorate.  The 
erection  of  The  Mother  Church  edifice,  Boston,  Mass., 
was  begun  in  1893,  and  the  building  was  dedicated  free 
from  debt,  as  is  the  custom  in  all  Christian  Science 
churches,  in  January,  1895.  In  1903  Mrs.  Eddy's 
church,  The  First  Church  of  Christ  Scientist,  in  Boston, 
Mass.,  numbers  27,796  communicants,  and  more  than 
760  organized  churches  and  societies,  very  many  of 
them  occupying  splendid  church  buildings,  witness  to  the 
presence  and  healing  power  of  Christian  Science  in 
unnumbered  hearts  and  in  many  lands. 

238 


STATE  BUILDERS 

In  the  midst  of  these  many  exacting  activities,  in  all 
of  which  she  was  much  of  the  time  blazing  her  way 
through  unexplored  territory,  and  meeting  with  problems 
every  day  to  the  solution  of  which  she  had  no  guide 
save  the  illumined  words  and  works  of  Jesus,  Mrs. 
Eddy's  writings  are  characteristic  and  original.  She 
has  found  time  to  make  large  contributions  to  the  litera- 
ture of  Christian  Science,  and  has  published  numerous 
books  and  pamphlets,  among  which  are  The  Unity  of 
Good,  Pulpit  and  Press,  Retrospection  and  Introspection, 
Rudimental  Divine  Science,  No  and  Yes,  Christian 
Healing,  Christian  Science  vs.  Pantheism,  People's 
Idea  of  God,  Miscellaneous  Writings,  etc.  Mean- 
while her  fertile  pen  has  supplied  the  ceaseless  demand 
for  association  adresses,  messages,  contributions  to 
the  Christian  Science  periodicals,  newspaper  articles, 
etc.,  and  has  conducted  a  vast  advisory  and  super- 
visory correspondence.  There  came  a  time,  however, 
when  the  larger  interests  of  the  movement  impera- 
tively demanded  her  freedom  from  the  less  important 
expenditures  of  time  and  attention,  and  this  was  found 
in  the  retirement  of  her  simple  country  home  at 
Pleasant  View,  Concord,  New  Hampshire.  Here  she 
now  watches  with  patient  and  loving  oversight,  and 
guides  with  wise  and  determinative  counsels,  that 
advancing  spiritual  impulse  whose  waves  are  beating 
upon  the  shores  of  every  sea. 

The  unity  and  homogeneity  of  the  Cause  has  been 
secured  in  the  use  of  a  uniform  Bible  Lesson  study  which 
is  prepared  by  her  provision  and  issued  quarterly.  The 
reading  of  this  lesson  from  Scripture  and  the  Christian 
Science  text-book  takes  the  place  of  the  sermon  and  is 
the  distinctive  feature  of  the  Sabbath  service.  The 
saving  truth  of  the  Word,  as  spiritually  understood  in 
Christian  Science,  is  thus  given  opportunity  to  dominate 

239 


STATE  BUILDERS 

the  hearers  thought,  while  the  personal  and  oratorical 
distractions  of  the  pulpit  are  entirely  eliminated. 

Unity  has  been  further  secured  by  organized  uniform- 
ity of  instruction,  and  by  the  appointment  of  a  Board  of 
Lectureship,  the  members  of  which  are  authorized 
expositors  of  the  teachings  of  Christian  Science,  and 
have  opportunity  to  recognize  and  answer  in  a  digni- 
fied way  the  inquiries  and  criticisms  of  the  public. 

The  distinctive  and  fundamental  teaching  of  Christian 
Science  is  embodied  in  the  ''Scientific  Statement  of 
Being,"  which  is  as  follows : 

"There  is  no  life,  truth,  intelligence,  or  substance  in 
matter.  All  is  infinite  Mind  and  its  infinite  manifesta- 
tion, for  God  is  All  in  all.  Spirit  is  immortal  Truth; 
matter  is  mortal  error.  Spirit  is  the  real  and  eternal; 
matter  is  the  unreal  and  temporal.  Spirit  is  God,  and 
man  is  His  image  and  likeness;  hence  man  is  spiritual 
and  not  material."* 

Denying  the  legitimacy  and  power  of  those  human 
conditions  and  so-called  material  laws  which  would  rob 
man  of  his  birthright  as  the  child  of  God  and  subject 
him  to  all  the  tortures  and  degradations  of  sin  and  suffer- 
ing, Christian  Science  smites  his  shackles  of  error  with 
the  sword  of  Truth,  and  bids  him  rise  to  the  privilege 
and  enjoyment  of  the  fulness  of  that  inheritance  and 
sovereignty  which  is  vouchsafed  him  in  Jesus  Christ. 

While  accepting  the  orthodox  postulates  of  the  divine 
nature,  and  the  fundamental  doctrines  of  catholic  Chris- 
tianity, Christian  Science  presents  its  great  contrast  in 
its  consistent,  persistent,  and  philosophic  maintenance  of 
these  postulates;  its  increased  emphasis  of  the  spiritual 
signification  of  scriptural  statements;  its  constant  direc- 
tion and  uplift  of  thought  from  human  personality  to 
divine  Principle,  and  its  declaration  and  demonstration  of 
the  present  possibility  of  healing  through  the  apprehen- 

*  Science  and  Health,  p.  468. 

240 


STATE  BUILDERS 

sion  of  Truth  as  taught  and  demonstrated  by  the  Naza- 
rene.  It  avers  that  religious  truth  is  one  with  all  truth, 
and  is  scientific;  that  the  laws  of  God  are  always  opera- 
tive, and  that  the  one  and  only  adequate  attestation  of 
truth  is  demonstration.  It  asserts  that  the  universe  is  the 
constant  going  forth  of  the  wisdom  and  power  of 
infinite  Love,  and  that  it  is  therefore  spiritual  and 
harmonious;  that  evil — all  error  and  disharmony — 
springs  from  that  false  sense  and  interpretation  of  the 
universe  surnamed  matter,  and  pertains  wholly  to  it, 
and  that  it  is  unreal  because  it  does  not  and  cannot 
manifest  the  life  and  law  of  God;  that  immortal  man  is 
Jwholly  spiritual,  a  ray  of  light  which  ever  images  and 
reflects  the  divine  nature,  and  which  is  the  consciousness 
of  good  alone;  that  the  material  sense  of  life  is  not 
man,  but  a  false  consciousness,  which  passes  with  the 
awakening  to  spiritual  reality,  the  assertion  of  the  true 
self.  It  declares  that  the  knowledge  of  God,  Truth, 
is  as  efficient  now  as  ever  to  defeat  and  destroy  error 
and  give  that  triumph  over  sin,  sickness,  and  death 
which  attended  the  ministry  of  Jesus  and  his  disciples; 
that  divine  Love,  not  fear,  governs  all  in  the  universe 
of  Mind,  and  that  its  dominion  in  us  will  break  all  our 
fetters,  heal  all  our  diseases,  and  give  us  that  victory 
and  peace  which  alone  can  satisfy  man's  immortal 
instincts  and  craving.  It  bids  man  know  that  his  bonds 
are  but  the  straw  of  human  belief;  that  all  that  is  real  is 
good,  and  that  to  know  God  now  means  health,  freedom 
from  sin,  ever-increasing  sovereignty  over  human  limita- 
tions, and  eternal  life.  Submitting  to  the  requirements  of 
the  scientific  method,  it  proceeds  to  prove  the  truth  of  its 
teaching,  as  did  our  Lord,  by  the  healing  of  sickness 
and  sin;  and  with  love  for  all  and  malice  toward  none 
it  addresses  its  constant  endeavor  to  the  realization  of 
an  unselfish  end,  the  salvation  of  humanity  from  the 
sin  and  sorrow  which  mark  its  bondage  to  material 

241 


STATE  BUILDERS 

sense.  "As  the  ages  advance  in  spirituality,  Christian 
Science  will  be  seen  to  depart  from  the  trend  of  other 
Christian  denominations  in  no  wise  except  by  increase 
of  spirituality."* 

To  those  who  were  bound  by  the  relentless  fetters 
of  a  materialistic  philosophy,  and  burdened  with  the 
physical  woes  of  a  time-honored  material  sense,  Christian 
Science  has  come  to  bring-  release  from  bondage,  surcease 
of  pain  and  the  glad  hope  and  inspiration  of  a  lofty 
idealism.  Thousands  and  tens  of  thousands  of  those 
who  were  once  discouraged  and  bed-ridden  sufferers, 
or  who  were  the  hopeless  victims  of  drink  and  the  baser 
habits  of  sin,  are  to-day  free  and  well  through  its 
ministry,  and  with  grateful  hearts  they  remember  her 
who,  through  the  long  years,  in  patient,  self-forgetful 
devotion  has  battled  for  humanity  and  has  won.  They 
thank  God  for  the  dawn  of  a  happier,  better  day,  and 
they  honor  the  hand  that  has  led  them  out  of  darkness 
into  light.  Their  affection  for  Mrs.  Eddy  is  the  natural 
and  spontaneous  expression  of  their  sense  of  indebted- 
ness, and  they  know  full  well  that  they  will  give  it 
that  expression  which  will  most  please  her  as  with 
earnest  faithfulness  they  honor  the  pledge  which  all 
true  Christian  Scientists  are  daily  seeking  to  fulfil : 
"We  solemnly  promise  to  strive,  watch,  and  pray  for 
that  Mind  to  be  in  us  which  was  also  in  Christ  Jesus; 
to  love  one  another;  and  to  be  meek,  merciful,  just, 
and  pure."f 

JOHN  BUCKLEY  WILLIS. 


*  Miscellaneous  Writings,  by  Mrs.  Eddy,  p.  21. 
t  Science  and  Health,  p.  497. 

242 


MOODY  CURRIKR, 

Governor  of  New  Hampshire,  1885-1886 


MOODY   CURRIER. 

More  than  ninety  years  of  a  happy,  honorable,  useful 
and  cultured  life  was  the  portion  of  Hon.  Moody  Cur- 
rier, who  was  born  in  Boscawen  April  22,  1806,  and  died 
at  Manchester  August  23,  1898. 

From  the  humble  circumstances  of  a  poor  farmer's 
boy  he  made  his  way  unaided  to  the  highest  position 
within  the  gift  of  his  state  and  in  his  service  as  governor 
proved  how  well  the  discipline  of  his  early  struggles  and 
later  successes  had  qualified  him  for  executive  responsi- 
bility. 

As  a  boy  he  was  limited  to  the  meagre  pittance  of  six 
weeks  of  schooling  per  year,  but  so  industriously  did  he 
then  apply  himself  and  so  earnestly  did  he  seek  for  learn- 
ing without  the  schoolhouse  walls  that  he  mastered  the 
English  branches  and  qualified  himself  to  act  as  teacher 
in  the  district  schools  of  his  youth. 

Bound  to  gain  all  the  education  that  lay  within  his 
farthest  stretch  of  ways  and  means  he  entered  Dartmouth 
college  and  graduated  with  the  class  of  1834,  having  the 
distinguished  honor  of  a  Greek  oration  at  Commence- 
ment Day. 

He  then  taught  school,  being  principal  of  the  academy 
at  Hopkinton  for  one  year  and  of  the  Lowell,  Massachu- 
setts, High  school  for  five  years.  But  teaching  was  not  his 
ultimate  aim,  and  in  the  hours  not  required  by  his  school 
work  Mr.  Currier  was  poring  over  law  books  to  such 
good  effect  that  in  1841,  in  the  city  of  Manchester,  he 

243 


STATE  BUILDERS 

was  admitted  to  the  practice  of  law  in  the  state  and 
United  States  courts.  His  career  as  a  lawyer  was  a  bril- 
liant and  distinguished  one. 

During  its  progress  he  naturally  became  identified  with 
the  organization  and  management  of  the  more  important 
among  the  financial  and  industrial  institutions  of  the 
rapidly  growing  city.  Thus  wealth  came  to  him  which 
he  rightly  enjoyed  and  conscientiously  employed. 

Political  honors  came  as  a  matter  of  course  to  the 
popular  and  prosperous  attorney  and  man  of  affairs  and 
a  long  series  of  public  offices,  filled  with  the  greatest 
ability  and  integrity,  culminated  in  his  election  to  the 
governorship  and  his  administration  of  the  affairs  of  the 
state  with  the  greatest  success  in  the  years  1885  and  1886. 

During  the  remainder  of  his  life  he  principally  devoted 
himself  to  literature  which  has  always"  been  his  chief 
solace  and  recreation.  The  possessor  of  a  splendid  li- 
brary, chosen  with  a  care  which  showed  the  real  culture 
of  the  owner,  Mr.  Currier  himself  produced  many  works 
that  secured  wide  praise  from  critics.  His  poems,  in  par- 
ticular, were  of  great  literary  and  intellectual  merit. 


244 


MRS.   MOODY  CURRIER 


MRS.  MOODY  CURRIER. 

Mrs.  Moody  Currier  was  the  youngest  daughter  of 
Enoch  Slade,  Esq.,  a  distinguished  citizen  of  Thetford, 
Vermont,  and  sister  of  Gen.  Samuel  W.  Slade,  an  emi- 
nent lawyer  of  St.  Johnsbury,  in  the  same  state.  She 
received  her  early  education  in  Thetford  academy,  at 
that  time  one  of  the  most  famous  institutions  in  New 
England.  Here  many  of  the  sons  and  daughters  of 
New  Hampshire  and  Vermont  resorted  to  prepare  for 
college,  or  to  obtain  a  higher  education  than  could  be 
obtained  elsewhere.  In  this  celebrated  school  Miss  Slade 
early  found  herself  ranking  among  the  foremost,  not 
only  in  the  ordinary  studies,  but  also  in  the  higher 
branches  of  Greek,  Latin  and  mathematics,  which  she 
pursued  far  into  the  college  course.  After  leaving  the 
Academy  with  the  highest  reputation  for  scholarship, 
Miss  Slade  went  to  Boston,  where  under  distinguished 
teachers  she  continued  her  studies  in  music,  French  and 
other  branches  of  polite  literature,  thus  adding  a  metro- 
politan finish  not  easily  acquired  in  rural  institutions. 

Miss  Slade  married  Hon.  Moody  Currier,  the  distin- 
guished banker  in  Manchester,  N.  H.,  who  was  in  1885 
and  1886  governor  of  the  state.  The  accomplishments 
of  Mrs.  Currier  added  greatly  to  the  dignity  and  popu- 
larity of  his  administration. 

After  her  marriage,  in  connection  with  her  husband 
she  continued  her  literary  and  scientific  pursuits,  keeping 
up  with  the  progress  of  the  age,  adopting  in  their  broad- 

245 


STATE  BUILDERS 

est  and  most  liberal  sense  the  best  thoughts  of  modern 
research.  Although  she  has  never  given  to  the  public 
any  of  her  literary  productions,  her  education  and  criti- 
cal tastes  would  warrant  success  in  such  an  undertaking. 
She  does  not  seek  distinction  by  a  display  to  the  world 
of  her  charities  and  benefactions,  which  are  many,  and 
known  only  to  those  who  receive  them.  She  believes 
that  the  proper  sphere  of  woman  is  her  home,  which  she 
renders  happy  and  adorns  by  devoting  to  it  the  best 
energies  of  her  life. 

By  her  care  and  watchfulness  she  threw  around 
her  husband's  declining  years  a  mantle  of  joy  and  glad- 
ness. 


246 


AUGUSTUS  D.  AYLING, 

Adjutant-General  of  New  Hampshire  since  1879 


AUGUSTUS  D.  AYLING. 

Augustus  Davis  Ayling  received  his  commission  from 
Governor  Head,  July  15,  1879,  as  adjutant  general  of 
New  Hampshire,  and  has  held  this  position  ever  since. 
He  was  born  in  Boston  in  1840;  was  educated  at  Law- 
rence academy,  Groton,  and  in  the  public  schools  of 
Lowell.  When  through  school  he  entered  the  employ 
of  J.  C.  Ayer  &  Co.  of  Lowell,  Mass.  Here  he  remained 
until  1861,  when  he  enlisted  in  the  Richardson  Light 
infantry,  an  unattached  company  named  in  honor  of 
Hon.  George  F.  Richardson  of  Lowell,  which  became 
the  Seventh  Massachusetts  Light  Battery.  He  was  ap- 
pointed second  lieutenant  in  the  Twenty-ninth  volun- 
teers in  January,  1862,  and  later  in  the  year  was  pro- 
moted to  the  first  lieutenancy.  In  the  spring  of  1864  he 
was  mustered  out.  About  a  year  later  he  became  a 
first  lieutenant  of  the  Twenty-fourth  Massachusetts  regi- 
ment, and  was  made  adjutant  of  the  regiment.  He  was 
also  aide-de-camp  and  judge  advocate  on  the  staff  of 
Major  General  R.  S.  Foster,  who  commanded  the  first 
division,  twenty-fourth  corps.  He  was  mustered  out  of 
the  .service  in  1866. 

Later  in  the  year  he  removed  to  Nashua,  where  he 
lived  until  appointed  to  his  present  position.  During  his 
residence  in  Nashua  he  served  as  inspector  of  checklists, 
assessor  and  assistant  city  marshal.  Married  Elizabeth 
F.  Cornish  at  Centreville,  Cape  Cod,  Mass.,  December 
22,  1869.  Two  children,  Edith  C.,  born  March  28, 
1871;  Charles  L.,  born  January  22,  1875. 

General  Ayling  is  a  Mason,  a  Knights  Templar,  a 
member  of  the  G.  A.  R.,  of  the  Loyal  Legion,  and  of 
several  military-social  organizations. 

247 


GEN.  CHARLES  WILLIAMS. 

The  growth  and  development  of  Manchester,  New 
Hampshire's  centre  of  population,  commerce,  manufact- 
uring and  enterprise,  is  due  not  more  to'  the  extensive 
natural  advantages  which  the  city  enjoys  by  reason  of  its 
magnificent  water-power,  than  to  the  persistent  industry 
and  sagacity  of  her  citizens.  A  large  contributor  to  the 
upbuilding  of  the  city  of  Manchester  was  Gen.  Charles 
Williams,  who  was  born  in  Oxford,  England,  November 
2d,  1836,  the  son  of  a  coal  dealer  who  emigrated  to 
America  in  1846.  Charles  Williams  enjoyed  only  lim- 
ited educational  advantages,  but  his  inheritance  of  sturdy 
common  sense  largely  atoned  for  any  deficiencies  in  his 
training,  and  he  was  enabled  throughout  the  whole  of  a 
long  and  successful  career  in  both  business  and  private 
life  to  meet  men  of  all  classes  upon  terms  of  equality  and 
to  make  for  himself  a  secure  place  in  the  history  of  the 
community  where  he  had  his  home.  He  began  his  busi- 
ness career  as  a  merchant,  but  buying  and  selling  afforded 
too  limited  a  field  for  the  exercise  of  his  abilities,  and  he 
entered  into  manufacturing,  becoming  the  owner  of  large 
and  valuable  quarries  of  soap  stone  in  the  town  of 
Francestown.  These  quarries  he  developed  thoroughly 
and  established  a  large  manufacturing  industry  in  the 
city  of  Nashua,  where  the  rough  stone  he  quarried  was 
utilized  in  the  manufacture  of  stoves,  tables,  wash  tubs, 
trays  and  other  articles  of  extensive  use.  The  transpor- 
tation facilities  within  the  city  of  Manchester,  consisting 

248 


GENERAL  CHARLES  WILLIAMS 


STATE  BUILDERS 

of  a  short  and  slenderly  equipped  horse  railroad,  attracted 
his  attention,  and  he  purchased  the  plant,  extended  it, 
and  finally  equipped  it  with  the  best  of  electrical  appa- 
ratus, and  at  last  sold  it  to  its  present  owners  in  a  condi- 
tion of  equipment,  earning  capacity  and  potential  devel- 
opment second  to  that  of  no  other  street  railroad  in  New 
England.  General  Williams  was  a  Republican  and 
served  in  many  official  capacities  as  the  successful  candi- 
date of  that  party.  At  one  time  he  was  a  member  of  the 
Governor's  Council  of  New  Hampshire,  and  had  held 
many  public  positions  of  lesser  rank.  He  married  Oc- 
tober 4th,  1856,  Miss  Ann  Augusta  Jackson,  of  Manches- 
ter, and  had  three  children.  His  home  was  one  of  the 
most  attractive  in  the  city  o>f  Manchester  and  in  it  he  was 
an  ideal  husband  and  father.  He  was  a  constant  attend- 
ant and  liberal  supporter  of  the  Methodist  Church,  and 
gave  generously  to  religious  and  charitable  institutions 
all  over  the  state.  He  died  November  6th,  1899,  be- 
queathing to  his  heirs  not  only  a  substantial  portion  of  the 
world's  goods,  but  that  good  name  which  is  better  than 
riches. 


249 


HENRY  M.  BAKER. 

Henry  M.  Baker  was  born  in  Bow,  New  Hampshire, 
January  n,  1841.  His  parents  were  Aaron  Whitte- 
more  and  Nancy  Dustin  Baker.  His  great-great  grand- 
mother was  Hannah,  only  daughter  of  Capt.  John  Love- 
well,  the  famous  Indian  fighter,  who  was  killed  in  the 
battle  of  Pigwacket,  May  8,  1725.  She  married  Capt. 
Joseph  Baker  May  31,  1739,  and  they  resided  in  Pem- 
broke on  lands  which  had  been  granted  to  the  survivors 
and  heirs  of  those  killed  in  that  battle.  Captain  Baker 
was  commissioned  captain  "of  the  foor  company  in  the 
place  commonly  called  and  known  by  the  name  of  Sun- 
cook"  by  Governor  Benning  Wentworth,  May  30,  1758, 
and  served  as  private  in  several  military  expeditions  in 
the  French  and  Indian  wars.  He  was  a  member  of  the 
Third  Provincial  congress  of  New  Hampshire,  and  held 
other  positions  of  honor  and  responsibility. 

Capt.  Baker's  son  Joseph  was  one  of  the  first  settlers 
of  Bow,  where  he  held  various  town  offices.  He  mar- 
ried Marion  Moore,  a  descendant  of  the  Scotch  cove- 
nanters. He  was  a  soldier  in  the  Revolution. 

On  the  maternal  side  Mr.  Baker  is  a  descendant  of 
the  colonial  heroine,  Hannah  Dustin. 

His  father,  Aaron  W.  Baker,  held  several  local  offices, 
though,  being  an  Abolitionist,  he  was  in  the  political 
minority  until  late  in  life.  Mr.  Baker  was  fortunate  in 
having  a  father  who  was  earnest  and  enthusiastic  and 
had  the  courage  of  his  convictions,  and  a  mother  of  high 

250 


HENRY  M.  BAKER 


STATE  BUILDERS 

character,  sweet  disposition  and  great  talent.  He  was 
the  youngest  of  their  four  sons.  They  gave  him  a  good 
education.  He  attended  the  academies  in  Pembroke, 
Hopkinton  and  Tilton,  and  graduated  at  Dartmouth  Col- 
lege in  1863.  Three  years  later  he  received  the  degree 
of  Master  of  Arts.  He  studied  law  and  graduated  from 
the  Law  department  of  Columbian  University.  He  is 
a  member  of  the  bar  of  the  Supreme  Court  of  the  United 
States.  In  1886-87  he  was  judge  advocate  general  of 
the  New  Hampshire  national  guard  with  the  rank  of 
brigadier  general. 

In  1890  he  was  elected  to  the  state  senate,  where  he 
was  chairman  of  the  judiciary  committee.  In  1892  he 
was  elected  to  congress  and  re-elected  two  years  later. 
He  was  not  a  candidate  for  re-election.  In  congress  he 
was  a  member  of  the  judiciary  and  other  important  com- 
mittees and  frequently  participated  in  the  general  discus- 
sions of  the  House.  Several  of  his  speeches  were  printed 
and  extensively  circulated. 

He  was  a  member  of  the  Constitutional  convention  of 
1902.  For  several  years  he  was  president  of  the  Alumni 
of  Dartmouth  College.  He  is  a  Knights  Templar,  a  Re- 
publican in  politics,  and  in  religion  a  Unitarian.  He  is 
a  member  of  the  New  Hampshire  club,  the  New  Hamp- 
shire Historical  society  and  president  of  the  New  Hamp- 
shire society  of  the  Sons  of  the  American  Revolution. 


CHARLES  E.  STANIELS. 

Charles  Eastman  Staniels,  a  prominent  life  insurance 
agent  of  Concord,  N.  H.,  was  born  in  Lowell,  Mass., 
December  2j7th,  1844,  son  of  Edward  L.  and  Ruth  Brad- 
ley (Eastman)  Staniels.  The  father,  born  in  Chichester, 
N.  H.,  for  many  years  was  interested  in  the  drug  business, 
successively  in  Lowell  and  Boston,  Mass.  Toward  the 
latter  part  of  his  life  he  removed  to  Ro<xbury,  then  a 
suburb  of  Boston,  and  died  there  at  the  age  of  sixty-five 
years.  He  was  twice  married.  By  his  first  wife  there 
were  three  children,  all  of  whom  are  now  dead.  His  sec- 
ond marriage  was  made  with  Ruth  Bradley  Eastman,  now- 
over  ninety-one  years  old,  whose  only  child  is  the  subject 
o<f  this  sketch.  A  daughter  of  General  Isaac  Eastman, 
of  Concord,  N.  H.,  she  is  a  direct  descendant,  in  the  fifth 
generation,  of  Captain  Ebenezer  Eastman,  the  first  settler 
of  Concord,  and  of  Captain  Edward  Johnson,  the  histor- 
ian of  Woburn,  Mass.,  one  of  the  commissioners  ap- 
pointed by  the  general  court  of  Massachusetts  Bay  colony 
to  fix  the  northern  boundary  of  that  colony  in  1652.  In 
1833  a  large  boulder  was  discovered  at  the  entrance  of 
Lake  Winnepesaukee  at  Weirs,  N.  H.,  bearing  the  initials 
of  Governor  John  Endicott,  with  those  of  the  commis- 
sioners. Captain  Edward  Johnson  and  Captain  Symon 
Willard,  which  had  remained  unnoticed  and  subject  to 
elemental  actions  for  one  hundred  and  eighty-one  years. 
The  State  of  New  Hampshire  has  erected  a  substantial 
stone  canopy  upon  this  historic  "Endicott  Rock,"  thereby 

252 


CHARLES  E.  STANIELS 


STATE  BUILDERS 

protecting  the  ancient  inscriptions  for  all  time.  John 
Staniels.  the  grandfather  of  Charles  Eastman,  was  a  na- 
tive of  Chichester,  and  followed  the  occupations  of  farmer 
and  builder.  He  lived  to  a  very  advanced  age,  and  left 
a  family  of  twelve  children.  Judge  William  M.  Chase  of 
Concord,  is  one  of  his  descendants.  The  original  surname 
of  this  family  was  Stanyan,  and  its  annals  are  interwoven 
with  those  of  Rockingham  county. 

Charles  Eastman  Staniels  was  educated  in  the  Boston 
grammar  schools  and  in  the  Roxbury  Latin  school.  In  the 
latter  institution  he  was  prepared  for  college,  but  the  out- 
break of  the  Civil  war  diverted  him  from  the  purpose  of 
pursuing  a  collegiate  course.  He  had  enlisted  in  the  Fifty- 
sixth  Massachusetts  regiment  o<f  volunteers  when  his  par- 
ents had  him  discharged  on  account  of  his  extreme  youth. 
He  then  went  to  work  in  a  wholesale  furnishing  house  in 
the  city  of  Boston.  Subsequently,  in  1865,  he  became  a 
commercial  traveller  for  the  same  house,  and  has  been 
more  or  less  on  the  road  ever  since.  In  those  mid-cen- 
tury days,  Western  travel  was  an  entirely  different  affair 
from  the  convenience  and  even  luxury  that  attend  it  to- 
day. The  inconvenience,  hardship,  and  even  suffering 
involved  in  a  long  western  mercantile  trip  in  those  days 
can  hardly  be  compared  to-day.  "Staging"  as  it  was 
called,  and  steamboating  on  Western  rivers  were  then 
common  factors  in  a  travelling  man's  experience.  Before 
the  completion  of  the  Union  Pacific  Railroad  and  the 
consequent  development  and  growth  of  large  business 
centres,  the  commercial  traveller  in  the  extreme  West 
was  subject  to  diversions  not  kno\vn  to  the  present  gen- 
eration of  mercantile  agents.  A  buffalo  hunt,  an  Indian 
scrimmage  on  the  frontier,  or  a  few  nights  in  a  snow 
blockade  in  the  Rockies  were  not  considered  unusual  or 
especially  unmixed  blessings. 

In  1869  Mr.  Staniels  assumed  the  charge  of  a  manu- 
facturing establishment  in  Boston,  and  thereafter  managed 

253 


STATE  BUILDERS 

its  affairs  in  the  South  and  West  for  a  number  of  years. 
At  length  his  health  becoming  somewhat  undermined  by 
his  devotion  to  business  matters,  he  removed  to  New 
Hampshire  and  took  two  years  of  complete  rest.  Then,  he 
engaged  in  the  fire  insurance  business  in  Concord.  To  this 
he  has  since  added  life  insurance,  and  has  now  been  en- 
gaged in  both  very  successfully  for  the  past  17  years, 
highly  esteemed  by  his  business  associates.  He  has  been 
a  member  of  the  executive  committee  of  the  national  life 
underwriters'  association  of  the  United  States  since  its 
organization,  and  has  also  served  as  President  of  the 
New  Hampshire  life  underwriters'  association.  He  mar- 
ried Eva  F.  Tuttle  of  Boston,  Mass.,  whose  parents  were 
natives  of  New  Hampshire,  and  they  have  a  family  of 
three  children;  namely,  Charles  T.,  Mabel  R.  (and  Ros- 
coe  E.,  deceased). 

A  deservedly  popular  man  in  his  community,  Mr.  Stan- 
iels  has  been  elected  to  membership  in  numerous  associa- 
tions. He  was  chosen  twice  to  fill  the  presidential  chair 
of  the  New  Hampshire  Society  of  the  Sons  of  the  Ameri- 
can Revolution,  and  left  that  organization  in  fine  condi- 
tion when  he  retired  from  the  office.  He  has  also  been 
President  of  the  White  Mountain  Travellers'  association. 
During  its  continuance  he  was  the  secretary  of  the  Chau- 
tauqua  assembly  of  New  Hampshire,  and  also  served  the 
Eastman  Family  association  in  a  similar  capacity.  Wher- 
ever he  has  made  his  home,  he  has  taken  a  keen  interest  in 
the  local  military  matters.  While  living  in  Boston,  he 
was  a  commissioned  officer  of  the  Boston  Tigers.  On  one 
occasion,  at  the  time  of  the  "draft  riots"  in  that  city,  he 
was  in  command  of  a  detachment  of  that  organization, 
guarding  the  arms  and  ammunition  of  the  state  stored 
in  old  Boylston  hall.  Since  coming  to'  New  Hampshire, 
he  has  served  as  a  commissioned  officer  in1  the  old  Amos- 
keag  Veterans,  and  in  1903  he  was  chosen  major  com- 
manding. In  politics  Mr.  Staniels  is  a  Republican,  and 

254 


STATE  BUILDERS 

he  cast  his  initial  ballot  for  Abraham  Lincoln  in  1864. 
He  is  Secretary  and  Treasurer  of  the  Republican  city 
committee,  trustee  of  the  public  library  and  was  for  sev- 
eral years  a  member  of  the  district  school  committee  of 
Concord.  He  is  a  member  of  the  East  Concord  Congre- 
gational Church. 


255 


REUBEN  HOWARD  CHENEY. 

The  late  Frederick  D.  Tappan,  president  of  the  Galla- 
tin  National  Bank  of  New  York  City  and  for  many  years 
president  of  the  New  York  Clearing  House  Association, 
in  drawing  his  will  instructed  his  executors  and  trustees 
to  invest  only  in  such  securities  as  they  may  find  included 
in  the  list  of  investments  made  by  the  Mutual  Life  Insur- 
ance Company  of  New  York.  Thus  did  a  great  banker 
voluntarily  pay  high  tribute  to  a  life  insurance  company 
which  is  confessedly  the  largest  bank  of  the  world. 

The  value  and  wisdom  of  and  the  benefits  to  be  derived 
from  life  insurance  have  been  proved  over  and  over 
again,  hence  it  is  not  surprising  that  all  the  shrewdest 
and  richest  merchants,  manufacturers,  and  professional 
men  all  over  this  broad  land  of  ours  carry  life  insurance, 
and  very  often  to  a  large  amount.  And  these  men — some 
of  them  carrying  million-dollar  policies — like  the  Mutual 
Life  Insurance  Company  of  New  York.  A  corporation, 
like  an  individual,  has  a  character  of  its  own,  and  by  it 
is  known.  Away  back  in  the  days  of  our  grandfathers 
the  Mutual  Life  was  founded  by  sterling,  old-school  New 
York  business  men.  It  started  right,  stayed  right,  and  is 
right.  There  have  been  no  strayings,  no  cross-purposes, 
no  small  aims,  no  melodramatic  screamings.  Adhering 
always  to  highest  standards,  never  seeking  to  win  fortune 
or  public  favor  on  any  less  terms,  it  has  steadfastly  pur- 
sued its  ideals,  meting  and  measuring  with  unerring  jus- 
tice, and  writing  in  golden  lines  the  most  precious  and 
stainless  business  history  to  which  America  can  point  and 
wherein  there  lurks  no  flaw. 

Prior  to  January  first  1903  the  interests  of  the  Mutual 

256 


REUBEN   H.  CHENEY 


STATE  BUILDERS 

Life  Insurance  company  of  New  York  in  New  Hamp- 
shire and  Vermont  were  under  the  direction  of  Reuben 
H.  and  Fred  M.  Cheney  under  the  firm  name  of  Cheney 
&  Cheney.  For  fifteen  years  the  brothers  continued  in 
business  together,  the  final  dissolution  of  the  firm  resulting 
from  the  new  system  of  their  company  which  went  into 
effect  January  first,  1903.  The  adoption  of  this  system 
sent  Fred  M.  to  Buffalo,  New  York,  while  Reuben 
Howard,  the  senior  partner,  remains  in  Manchester  and 
in  full  charge  of  the  company's  field  work  in  New  Hamp- 
shire and  Vermont. 

In  the  spring  of  1903  Mr.  Cheney,  for  his  company 
took  possession  of  what  are  without  question  the  largest, 
best  equipped  and  most  complete  offices  in  New  England, 
outside  of  Boston,  devoted  to  the  life  insurance  business. 
These  offices  are  on  the  ground  floor,  and  have  the  dis- 
tinction of  being  the  only  ground  floor  offices  possessed 
by  any  single  insurance  company  in  Manchester,  even  if 
not  in  any  other  larger  New  England  city.  This  fact  of 
its  ground  floor  offices  is  significant  and  full  of  meaning. 
Mr.  Cheney  is,  first  of  all,  recognized  by  the  Mutual  Life 
as  capable  of  justifying  such  large  expenditure  as  it 
necessarily  involves,  and  that  the  company's  business  in 
New  Hampshire  and  Vermont  comprised  in  his  territory, 
will  continue  to  grow  in  the  future  as  in  the  past.  It  like- 
wise is  a  practical  demonstration  of  the  strength  and  re- 
source of  the  Mutual  Life  Company. 

Mr.  Cheney  was  born  in  Arcola,  Minn.,  February  14, 
1856,  the  son  of  Frederick  Porter  and  Louise  B.  (Hill) 
Cheney.  Both  parents  were  born  and  reared  in  Glover, 
Vt.,and  in  that  town  they  were  married,  migrating  at  once 
to  Minnesota.  Happening  to  return  to  Vermont  on  a 
visit  in  the  early  sixties  to  see  the  invalid  father  of  the 
senior  Mr.  Cheney,  the  intended  visit  lengthened  into  his 
decision  to  remain  permanently.  He  was  drafted  into  the 
army,  went  to  the  county  seat,  and  paid  his  $300  com- 

257 


STATE  BUILDERS 

mutation  money,  and  returned  home  and  enlisted  of  his 
own  accord.  It  would,  indeed,  be  interesting  to  know  if 
there  was  such  another  instance  of  devotion  to  principle 
as  this.  Certain  it  is  that  there  were  not  many. 

Reuben  Howard  was,  therefore,  brought  up  in  Ver- 
mont. He  attended  the  schools  of  Glover  and  Barton, 
working  on  farms  during  vacations.  After  leaving  school 
he  was  a  clerk  in  a  country  store  for  two  years.  Later  he 
became  a  clerk  in  the  office'  of  the  division  superintendent 
of  freight  at  White  River  Junction,  Vt,  and  finally  he 
himself  became  superintendent  and  lived  at  White  River 
Junction  for  twelve  years.  He  was  offered  and  accepted 
a  special  agency  of  the  Mutual  Life  Insurance  Company 
in  Manchester.  Instant  and  signal  success  followed  this 
venture,  and  he  was  shortly  after  joined  by  his  brother, 
Fred  N.  The  first  year  they  doubled  the  amount  of  in- 
surance ever  written  by  the  company  in  the  same  length 
of  time.  The  New  Hampshire  state  agency  was  next 
given  them,  and  still  later  Vermont  was  added  to  their 
territory.  In  the  fifteen  years  of  the  continuance  of  the 
firm  of  Cheney  &  Cheney  it  wrote  $25,000,000  worth  of 
insurance  for  the  Mutual  Life. 

Mr.  Cheney  is  a  thirty-second  degree  Mason,  and  be- 
longs to  the  Derryfield  and  Calumet  clubs  in  Manchester, 
the  New  Hampshire  club  of  Boston,  and  the  Amoskeag 
Veterans. 

In  1876  he  married  Miss  Nellie  A.  Burroughs  of  Glov- 
er, Vt.  They  have  a  most  interesting  family  of  six  child- 
ren, four  sons  and  two  daughters.  The  eldest  son,  Roy- 
don  W..  graduated  at  Harvard  in  1901,  and  is  now  in  the 
office  with  his  father.  The  second  son,  Clinton  Howard, 
is  his  father's  private  secretary.  He  is  developing  fine  ar- 
tistic tastes,  and  his  work  with  pen  and  brush  is  most  ex- 
cellent. A  third  son,  Frederick  W.,  is  also  in  the  office, 
while  the  fourth  is  a  student.  The  daughters  are,  respec- 
tively, May  Louise  and  Ruby  Lucille. 

258 


BENJAMIN   FRANKLIN  PRESCOTT, 

Governor  of  A'ew  Hainpsliire,  1878-1879 


BENJAMIN    FRANKLIN    PRESCOTT. 

A  noteworthy  figure  in  the  line  of  eminent  chief  magis- 
trates who  have  adorned  the  governorship  of  New  Hamp- 
shire is  Benjamin  Franklin  Prescott,  who  was  born  in 
Epping  Feb.  26,  1833,  and  who  died  in  that  town 
Feb.  21,  1895.  He  fitted  for  college  at  the  Phillips- 
Exeter  academy  and  was  graduated  from  Dartmouth  in 
1856.  His  next  few  years  were  occupied  with  teaching, 
and  the  study  of  law,  and  in  1860  he  was  admitted  to 
the  bar.  For  one  year  he  practised  his  profession,  and 
then  being  drawn  into  journalism  through  a  recognition 
of  his  literary  gifts  he  was  for  five  years  a  member  of 
the  staff  of  the  New  Hampshire  Statesman.  Gov.  Pres- 
cott's  journalistic  career  covered  the  exciting  period  of 
the  Civil  War,  and  his  contributions  to  the  columns  of  his 
newspaper  during  those  years  were  recognized  as  no 
slight  factor  in  maintaining  the  consistent  patriotism  of 
New  Hampshire.  In  1865  he  was  appointed  a  special 
agent  of  the  U.  S.  Treasury  Department  and  remained 
in  that  service  for  four  years.  Gov.  Prescott  was  one 
of  the  founders  of  the  Republican  party  and  was  advanced 
to  positions  of  trust  in  the  party  management.  In  1859 
he  was  elected  Secretary  of  the  Republican  State  Com- 
mittee and  served  in  that  capacity  for  fifteen  years.  In 
1872  he  was  honored  with  the  election  of  Secretary  of 
State  and  was  three  times  re-elected.  In  1877  by  a  pro- 
cess of  natural  selection  he  was  elevated  to  the  governor- 
ship and  was  re-elected  in  1878.  In  1880  he  was  chair- 

259 


STATE  BUILDERS 

man  of  the  New  Hampshire  delegates  to  the  Republican 
National  Convention  at  Chicago.  In  1887  he  was  ap- 
pointed a  member  of  the  State  Board  of  Railroad  Com- 
missioners and  was  reappointed  in  1890,  retiring  in  1893. 
Governor  Prescott  was  a  man  of  marked  literary,  histor- 
ical and  oratorical  gifts,  a  wide  and  discriminating  mind 
and  possessed  of  sound  learning,  to  which  he  added 
keen  judgment,  unfailing  discernment  and  an  almost 
unlimited  capacity  for  hard  work.  Through  sheer  force 
of  intellect,  supplemented  with  indomitable  perseverance 
he  rose  to  high  positions  and  was  warmly  welcomed  in 
the  society  of  statesmen  and  scholars.  He  was  a  fellow 
of  the  Royal  Historical  Society  of  Great  Britain,  and 
during  his  term  as  Governor  was  the  guest  at  Montreal 
of  the  then  Governor  General  of  Canada,  the  Marquis 
of  Lome  and  his  Marchioness,  the  Princess  Louise, 
and  in  the  presence  of  royalty  New  Hampshire's  chief 
magistrate  was  by  no  means  ill  at  ease.  He  was  for 
many  years  Vice-President  of  the  New  Hampshire 
Historical  Society  and  was  President  of  the  Bennington 
Battle  Field  Monument  Association  during  all  the  years 
of  its  effort  to  erect  the  magnificent  memorial  now  stand- 
ing on  the  field  of  that  famous  conflict.  He  was  deeply 
interested  in  the  educational  institutions  of  the  state, 
was  for  many  years  Trustee  of  the  state  College,  and 
was  one  of  the  first  Alumni  of  Dartmouth  to  be  honored 
by  his  fellows  with  an  election  to  the  board  of  trustees 
of  that  Institution.  This  honor  came  to  Governor  Pres- 
cott in  1878,  and  he  held  it  until  his  death. 


260 


RT.  REV.  WILLIAM  WOODRUFF  NILES,  U.D., 
Protestant  Episcopal  Bishop  of  A'ew  Hampshire 


BISHOP  WILLIAM  W.  NILES,  D.  D. 

Rt.  Rev.  William  Woodruff  Niles,  Bishop  of  New 
Hampshire,  was  born  in  Hatley,  Quebec,  May  24,  1832. 
His  preliminary  education  was  received  at  the  Charles- 
ton Academy  in  his  native  village,  at  Derby,  Vermont; 
and  in  1857,  ne  was  graduated  from  Trinity  College, 
Hartford,  Conn.  He  studied  theology  at  the  Berkeley 
Divinity  School,  where  he  was  graduated  in  1861,  and 
in  that  year  he  was  ordained  deacon  by  the  bishop  of  Con- 
necticut. His  first  charge  was  as  rector  of  St.  Philip's 
Church  at  Wiscasset,  Me.,  where  he  remained  for  three 
years,  and  where  in  May,  1862,  he  was  elevated  to  the 
priesthood.  For  six  years  he  was  professor  of  Latin  in 
Trinity  College,  and  during  three  years  of  this  time 
served  as  rector  of  St.  John's  Church  at  Warehouse 
Point,  Conn. 

Being  elected  to  the  bishopric  of  New  Hampshire,  he 
was  consecrated  in  St.  Paul's  Church,  Concord,  on  St. 
Matthew's  Day,  1870.  In  that  same  year  he  received  the 
degree  of  Doctor  of  Divinity  from  Trinity  College,  a  like 
honor  coming  to  him  from  Dartmouth  College  in  1875. 
In  1896,  he  was  made  Doctor  of  Laws  by  his  Alma 
Mater,  and  about  this  time  Doctor  of  Civil  Law  by 
Bishop's  College  in  Quebec. 

The  work  of  this  energetic  churchman  can  hardly  be 
summarized  within  the  brief  limits  of  this  sketch.  Under 
his  direction  all  the  interests  of  the  diocese  have  flour- 
ished wonderfully.  Deeply  interested  in  advancing  the 

261 


STATE  BUILDERS 

educational  facilities  of  the  state  he  has  been  instrumental 
not  only  in  promoting  the  welfare  of  St.  Paul's  School, 
a  noted  institution  for  boys  which  he  found  already  well 
established  in  his  diocese  upon  his  coming  here,  but  he 
has  also*  brought  into  being  the  well-endowed  and  thor- 
oughly equipped  Hoklerness  School  for  boys,  and  the 
successful  St.  Mary's  School  for  Girls  at  Concord.  The 
number  of  parishes  in  the  diocese  has  been  largely  in- 
creased under  his  stimulating  and  aggressive  leadership, 
the  value  of  church  property  has  been  many  times  multi- 
plied, and  the  activity  of  the  diocese  in  all  lines  has  been 
materially  advanced. 

]n  the  House  of  Bishops  of  the  American  Church,  he 
now  being  one  of  the  senior  members,  Bishop  Niles  is  a 
tower  of  strength,  serving  as  an  active  member  of  many 
of  the  most  important  boards  for  the  promotion  of  church 
work. 

Bishop  Niles  is  a  scholar  of  brilliant  attainment  and 
has  performed  great  labors,  being  a  member  of  the  com- 
mittee of  the  General  Convention  for  the  revision  of  the 
list  of  chapters  of  Scripture  to  be  read  in  church;  of  the 
committee  of  revision  of  the  Prayer  Book;  and  of  that  for 
the  revision  of  marginal  readings  in  the  Bible. 

Bishop  Niles  was  married  June  5,  1862,  to  Bertha 
Olmsted,  a  descendant  from  one  of  the  settlers  of  Hart- 
ford, and  he  has  four  living  children.  His  home  estab- 
lished in  Concord  at  the  episcopal  residence  erected  for 
him  by  the  diocese  is  a  centre  of  much  culture  and  hospi- 
tality, and  he  moves  among  the  people  of  the  state  be- 
loved and  venerated,  a  faithful  shepherd  of  his  flock,  a 
good  citizen  and  a  sterling  friend  to  humanity. 


262 


JOHN   M.  HUNT 


JOHN  M.  HUNT. 

John  M.  Hunt  was  born  at  Dracut,  Mass.,  March  3ist, 
1797;  died  at  Nashua,  Oct.  3Oth,  1885.  He  was  a  son  of 
Israel  Hunt,  born  Aug.  27th,  1758,  died  March  2nd, 
1850,  and  Catherine  (Nowell)  Hunt,  born  June  I5th, 
1765,  died  May  I5th,  1850.  Their  ancestors  came  from 
England  in  the  seventeenth  century  and  were  among  the 
early  settlers  in  Massachusetts  Bay  colony.  Their  de- 
scendants have  been  among  the  pioneers  in  near  and  re- 
mote sections  of  this  continent  and  many  of  them  have 
distinguished  themselves  in  the  service  of  their  country, 
in  the  professions  and  employments  that  developed  that 
civilization  which  was  the  crowning  glory  of  the  nine- 
teenth century. 

Mr.  Hunt  obtained  a  common  school  education,  and 
beyond  that,  for  he  was  a  well  informed  man  on  topics  of 
general  interest,  was  self  taught.  From  1803  until  his 
death  in  1885  he  was  one  of  the  best  known  residents  of 
Nashua.  In  the  beginning  of  his  honorable  career  he  was 
in  trade  at  the  "Harbor"  in  a  store  that  stood  in  the  south 
triangle  where  the  Lowell  and  Dunstable  roads  form  a 
junction.  He  was  also  interested  in  a  linen  manufactur- 
ing enterprise,  the  mill  of  which  was  located  on  the  site 
of  the  present  Vale  mill.  The  business  was  not  success- 
ful. In  1820  he  was  appointed  postmaster  of  Nashua, 
which  office  he  held  until  July  1841.  During  all  these 
years,  and  in  fact  all  during  his  active  career,  he  took  part 
in  town  affairs  and  performed  the  duties  of  citizenship 

263 


STATE  BUILDERS 

with  fidelity  to  every  trust,  being  town  clerk  and  chairman 
of  the  board  of  selectmen  in  1830,  1833,  1834,  1835  and 
1836,  and  instrumental  in  causing  the  first  town  report 
to  be  issued  to  the  taxpayers  in  printed  form.  When  the 
Nashua  State  bank,  chartered  at  the  June  session  of  the 
legislature  in  1835,  was  organized  in  1836,  he  was  ap- 
pointed cashier,  which  position  of  trust  he  held  until  the 
bank  closed  its  business  in  October,  1866.  Hon.  Isaac 
Spalding  was  president  of  the  bank  during  its  entire  life, 
and  it  was  a  matter  of  pride  with  him  and  Mr.  Hunt  that 
the  institution  never  lost  a  dollar  by  a  bad  investment, 
and  that  when  its  affairs  were  liquidated  it  paid  its  stock- 
holders their  principal  and  a  handsome  dividend  in  addi- 
tion to  the  dividends  paid  yearly  when  it  did  business. 

As  a  citizen,  neighbor  and  friend,  no'  man  of  his  genera- 
tion stood  higher  in  the  regard  of  the  community.  He 
was  democratic  in  all  his  ways  and  dealings;  a  man  whose 
influence  in  the  community  was  always  on  the  side  of 
justice,  morality  and  religion.  Mr.  Hunt  was  a  regular 
attendant  at  the  Unitarian  church  and  a  member  of  Ris- 
ing Sun  lodge,  A.  F.  and  A.  M.,  of  which  he  was  senior 
warden  in  1826  and  worshipful  master  in  1827.  January 
28th,  1833,  Mr.  Hunt  was  united  in  marriage  with  Mary 
Ann  Munroe,  who  was  born  in  Lexington,  Mass.,  Oct. 
3  ist,  1812;  died  at  Nashua  Dec.  i,  1894.  She  was  a 
daughter  of  Thomas  Munroe,  born  March  3Oth,  1785, 
died  July  8th,  1854,  and  Elizabeth  (Jewett)  Munroe, 
born  Sept.  8th,  1785,  died  Nov.  23rd,  1848.  Mrs.  Hunt's 
ancestors  were  among  the  first  English  settlers  in  Massa- 
chusetts, and  a  great  number  of  their  decendants  have 
made  their  mark  in  the  world  and  have  served,  and  are 
stiil  serving  in  honorable  professions  and  callings.  Mrs. 
Hunt  came  to>  Nashua  with  her  parents  when  she  was  a 
child  and  her  home  was  here  until  her  death.  She  was  a 
constant  attendant  at  the  Unitarian  church  and  very  much 
interested  in  its  work.  In  fact,  she  left  a  bequest  to  the 

264 


STATE  BUILDERS 

society.  Also  a  bequest  to  establish  the  John  M.  Hunt 
Home  for  aged  couples  and  aged  men,  and  a  sufficient 
sum  to  build  and  maintain  the  Home,  in  memory  of  her 
husband.  Two  children  were  born  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hunt ; 
the  first  born  April  8th,  1839,  died  in  infancy;  second, 
Mary  E.  born  April  loth,  1842,  unmarried.  Mrs.  Hunt 
was  a  woman  of  retiring  disposition,  of  modest  deport- 
ment and  domestic  tastes,  devoted  to  her  family. 


265 


FRANK    S.    STREETER. 


Frank  S.  Streeter,  president  of  the  Xew  Hampshire 
state  constitutional  convention  of  1902,  and  a  recognized 
leader  at  the  bar  of  Northern  New  England,  was  born  in 
Charleston,  Vermont,  August  5,  1853,  and  completed  his 
preparatory  course  for  college  at  St.  Johnsbury  academy 
in  that  state.  Entering  Dartmouth  he  graduated  in  1874, 
having  among  his  classmates  Frank  N.  Parsons,  who  be- 
came Chief  Justice  of  the  New  Hampshire  supreme  court ; 
Edwin  G.  Eastman,  who  became  Attorney  General  of 
the  state  in  1902;  Samuel  W.  McCall  and  Samuel  J. 
Powers,  both  congressmen  from  Massachusetts. 

Immediately  following  his  graduation  from  Dart- 
mouth Mr.  Streeter  served  for  a  while  as  principal  of  the 
high  school  in  Ottumwa,  Iowa,  but  soon  relinquished 
teaching  to  enter  upon  the  study  of  law,  the  practice  of 
which  he  designed  as  his  life  work  and  for  which  profes- 
sion he  was  eminently  equipped  by  nature  and  inclination. 
He  became  a  student  at  law  in  the  town  of  Bath  and  in 
the  office  of  the  late  Chief  Justice  Alonzo  P.  Carpenter, 
who  is  remembered  by  his  associates  and  contemporaries 
at  the  Bar  as  having  possessed  one  of  the  best  trained 
judicial  minds  that  ever  added  lustre  and  renown  to  the 
New  Hampshire  bench. 

Admitted  to  the  bar  in  1877  he  opened  an  office  in  the 
town  of  Orford  but  maintained  it  for  only  a  few  months, 
leaving  Orford  for  that  wider  field,  the  city  of  Concord, 
to  enter  which  he  was  urged  by  those  who  had  thus  early 
recognized  his  ability  and  promise  as  a  lawyer.  It  was 
in  the  autumn  of  1877  tnat  ne  arrived  in  Concord  and 

266 


FRANK  S.  STREKTER 


STATE  BUILDERS 

entered  upon  that  professional  career  which  was  des- 
tined to  be  of  so  great  credit  to  himself  and  the  bar  of  the 
state.  During  the  greater  part  of  his  first  two  years  in 
Concord  he  had  as  a  partner  in  practice  Gen.  John  H. 
Albin.  Later  the  firm  of  Chase  &  Streeter  was  formed 
and  continued  for  more  than  twelve  years,  when  it  was 
succeeded  by  that  of  Streeter  &  Hollis. 

Practically  from  the  beginning  of  his  professional 
career  Mr.  Streeter  has  been  identified  with  that  line  of 
practice  having  to  do  with  corporation  law,  a  line  that 
always  exacts  the  finest  talent,  tact  and  acumen  it  is  pos- 
sible for  the  lawyer  to  display,  as  it  is  likewise  the  most 
inviting  field  for  the  practitioner  of  to-day.  For  a  num- 
ber of  years  he  has  most  acceptably  served,  in  the  position 
of  general  counsel,  such  vast  commercial  interests  as  the 
Boston  and  Maine  railroad,  the  New  England  Telephone 
and  Telegraph  company,  and  the  Western  Union  Tele- 
graph company.  His  realm  of  a  more  private  practice  is 
large,  exclusive,  and  of  a  most  varied  nature. 

But  it  is  not  alone  as  a  member  of  the  legal  profession 
that  Mr.  Streeter  has  gained  prominence  and  the  sincere 
approbation  of  the  people.  He  has  recognized  and  met 
the  obligations  of  good  citizenship,  and  that  in  a  wholly 
disinterested  manner.  He  is  first  of  all  true  to  what  he 
owes  his  fellow  man  and  state  as  a  member  of  society. 
He  is,  and  naturally  so,  a  leader  of  the  Republican  forces 
in  New  Hampshire,  and  if  the  list  of  his  political  offices 
is  a  short  one  it  is  because  he  has  asked  his  political  asso- 
ciates to  bestow  their  favors  upon  others  rather  than 
upon  himself.  He  yielded  to  the  wishes  of  his  party 
friends  to  become  a  member  of  the  state  legislature  in 
1885,  and  in  1902  by  the  vote  of  all  parties  he  became  a 
member  of  the  constitutional  convention.  By  an  ex- 
tremely flattering  vote  he  was  chosen  president  of  the 
convention,  and  that  by  a  body  of  men  among  whom 
were  the  intellectual  leaders  of  the  state.  At  the  time 
of  his  election  he  had  not  completed  the  fiftieth  year  of 
his  age,  and  thus  his  election  to  the  high  office  at  such 

267 


STATE  BUILDERS 

an  age  emphasized  all  the  more  the  estimate  placed  upon 
him  by  his  convention  associates. 

In  1892  he  presided  over  the  Republican  state  conven- 
tion, which  nominated  Gov.  John  B.  Smith,  and  in  1896 
he  was  sent  as  delegate-at-large  to  the  National  conven- 
tion at  St.  Louis,  where  he  served  on  the  committee  on 
resolutions,  and  was  powerfully  instrumental  in  securing 
the  platform  declaration  in  favor  of  the  gold  standard. 
In  1900  he  declined  a  proffered  election  to  represent  New 
Hampshire  on  the  Republican  National  committee.  For 
many  years  he  has  been  a  member  of  the  Republican 
State  committee,  and  since  1896  he  has  represented  Mer- 
rimack  county  on  the  executive  committee  of  that  body. 

From  the  day  of  his  graduation  from  Dartmouth  col- 
lege Mr.  Streeter  has  been  among  the  most  active  and 
influential  of  its  alumni.  He  is  a  life  member  of  his  alma 
mater's  board  of  trustees  as  such  representing  the  alumni. 


268 


COLONEL  WILLIAM  S.  PILLSBURY 


COL.    WILLIAM  S.    PILLSBURY. 

In  the  industrial  development  of  Derry,  its  towns- 
people are  agreed  that  the  chief  meed  of  praise  should  be 
accorded  Col.  William  Staughton  Pillsbury,  who  was 
practically  the  founder  and  the  real  builder  of  the  town's 
present  great  shoe-manufacturing  industry.  He  has  been 
instant,  in  season  and  out  of  season,  in  fostering  and 
furthering  along  all  commercial  and  industrial  enter- 
prises. Born  in  the  town  of  Londonderry,  he  represents 
a  family  famous  in  the  annals  of  state  and  nation,  and 
especially  for  what  they  accomplished  in  American  in- 
dustrial life.  The  Pillsburys  of  flour  fame  were  his 
kinsmen,  while  his  own  immediate  family  was  conspicu- 
ous likewise  in  the  ecclesiastical,  political,  and  educa- 
tional life  of  New  Hampshire.  His  father  was  the  Rev. 
Stephen  Pillsbury,  a  clergyman  of  the  Baptist  denomina- 
tion, whose  pastorates  in  Sutton,  Dunbarton,  and  Lon- 
donderry covered  a  period  of  thirty-five  years.  Colonel 
Pillsbury's  mother  was  born  Lavinia  Hobart,  and 
throughout  her  life  of  seventy-six  years  was  esteemed  for 
the  nobility  of  her  character,  as  an  exemplar  of  the  Chris- 
tian life,  and  for  her  intellectual  accomplishments. 
Colonel  Pillsbury  was  born  in  Londonderry,  and  this  is 
his  present  place  of  residence.  The  family  homestead  is 
a  short  two  miles  from  his  office  and  factories  in  Derry. 

Colonel  Pillsbury  has  a  most  honorable  war  record, 
which  began  with  service  as  first  lieutenant  in  the  Fourth 
New  Hampshire  regiment.  Later  he  was  commissioned 
first  lieutenant  in  the  Ninth  New  Hampshire,  serving  in 
the  same  company  of  which  his  brother,  Leonard  Hobart, 

269 


STATE  BUILDERS 

was  the  captain,  a  circumstance  which  indicates  with 
what  esteem  the  then  boys  were  held  in  the  community 
and  state.  With  his  company  he  participated  in  the 
battle  of  South  Mountain,  and  in  this  he  distinguished 
himself  by  the  discovery  of  a  movement  by  the  Confed- 
erates in  time  to  save  his  company  from  a  probable  ter- 
rible loss.  Just  as  Lieutenant  Pillsbury  had  safely  led 
his  command  from  the  ambush  in  which  it  had  nearly 
fallen,  Major-General  Jesse  Reno,  commander  of  the 
Union  forces,  rode  along  the  line  and  in  the  direction  of 
the  Confederate  position  in  which  they  were  supported 
by  a  battery.  Lieutenant  Pillsbury  pointing  out  the  loca- 
tion of  the  enemy  warned  Reno  of  his  danger,  but  the 
warning  was  unheeded,  and  scarcely  three  minutes  later 
General  Reno  was  killed",  and  in  his  death  the  Union 
cause  lost  one  of  its  ablest  commanders. 

Another  incident  in  the  army  career  of  Colonel  Pills- 
bury  has  a  distinct  and  highly  important  bearing  on  the 
much  discussed  question  whether  Barbara  Frietchie,  the 
heroine  of  Whittier's  poem,  was  a  real  or  fictitious  per- 
sonage. Colonel  Pillsbury  is  emphatic  in  asserting  that 
she  was  not  a  creation  of  the  gifted  poet's  imagination, 
and  his  testimony  as  to  the  genuineness  of  her  existence, 
and  that  she  did  wave  the  Stars  and  Stripes  as  Stonewall 
Jackson  and  his  army  marched  "all  day  long  through 
Frederick  town,"  is  to  the  point  and  convincing.  Colonel 
Pillsbury  says  that  as  his  regiment,  as  part  of  the  Union 
army,  followed  Jackson  and  the  Confederates  through 
Frederick,  a  resident  of  the  town  pointed  out  to  him  a 
house  with  the  remark  that  only  the  day  before  an  aged 
Unionist  woman  had  waved  from  its  window  the  Stars 
and  Stripes  as  the  Confederates  marched  on.  Whittier 
had  not  then,  in  all  probability,  heard  of  the  incident, 
much  less  penned  the  words  that  thrilled  the  whole  North 
with  patriotism,  and  renewed  its  faith  in  the  cause  of  the 
perpetuity  of  the  Union.  The  resident  of  Frederick  spoke 
to  Lieutenant  Pillsbury.  as  his  company  made  a  tempo- 
rary halt,  and  there  is  not  the  slightest  ground  for  pre- 
suming that  Barbara  Frietchie  and  her  flag  were  a  mental 

270 


STATE  BUILDERS 

creation  of  this 'citizen  of  Frederick.  These  incidents 
of  the  warning  to  General  Reno  and  of  the  genuineness 
of  the  personality  of  Barbara  Frietchie  are  published  now 
for  the  first  time  in  a  personal  narrative  of  Colonel 
Pillsbury. 

At  the  conclusion  of  the  war  between  the  states,  Lieu- 
tenant Pillsbury  returned  home  and  at  once  re-engaged 
in  shoe  manufacturing,  a  business  he  had  learned  in  all 
its  many  details  prior  to  his  service  in  the  army.  He  at 
first  engag'ed  in  the  making  of  shoes  in  his  native  Lon- 
donderry, but  ere  long  began  manufacturing  in  Derry, 
where  his  business  life  has  since  been  passed. 

At  the  time  of  his  going  to  Derry  to  engage  in  busi- 
ness, the  West  or  Depot  village,  as  it  was  then  called, 
was  a  mere  hamlet  of  a  few  scattered  houses,  and  the 
building  that  served  the  utmost  purpose  of  his  factory 
was  no  larger  than  an  ordinary  dwelling.  Step  by  step 
the  little  plant  has  grown  until  to-day  it  has  a  capacity 
that  gives  employment  to  some  six  hundred  employees, 
and  is  equipped  throughout  with  the  latest  devised  ma- 
chinery. In  course  of  time  he  admitted  into  partnership, 
in  his  shoe  manufacturing  enterprise,  a  son,  Rosecrans 
W.,  under  the  firm  name  of  W.  S.  &  R.  W.  Pillsbury. 
This  house  ranks  with  the  most  progressive  and  pros- 
perous business  interests  in  the  state.  Continuous  growth 
has  been  the  law  of  the  plant,  and  this  expansion  from 
the  little  beginning  is  significantly  portrayed  in  the  en- 
graved letter  head  of  the  firm.  In  the  illustration  is  the 
original  factory  and  near  to  it  the  present  great  plant, 
the  whole  silently  yet  most  effectively  setting  forth  the 
history  of  the  grand  success  of  the  enterprise. 

Colonel  Pillsbury  is  a  man  not  only  of  great  courage 
and  energy,  but  one  who  knows  the  value  of  method  and 
system.  He  possesses  to  a  marked  degree  that  faculty 
known  as  the  initiative  and  the  skill,  the  persistency,  and 
insistency  to  carry  out  that  which  he  originates.  He 
likes  business  for  its  own  sake  and  is  ever  ready  to  do 
that  which  will  add  to  the  advantage  of  Derry  and  his 
own  home  town,  Londonderry.  He  has  been  much  in 

271 


STATE  BUILDERS 

political  life.  Away  back  in  1868  he  was  a  commissioner 
for  Rockingham  county.  As  a  county  commissioner  he 
proved  a  most  efficient  official.  In  1877  ne  was  an  aide 
on  the  staff  of  Governor  Prescott  and  from  that  date  has 
borne  the  title  of  "colonel."  As  a  "good  citizen"  he  has 
actively  participated  in  Londonderry's  town  affairs.  For 
near  a  generation  he  served  as  moderator,  as  trustee  of 
the  public  library,  and  on  committees  almost  without  end. 
He  served  a  term  as  a  member  of  the  legislature  many 
years  ago.  and  was  a  member  of  the  senate,  his  term  ex- 
piring with  the  year  1902.  His  church  home  is  the 
Congregational.  He  is  a  Mason,  and  member  of  various 
business  and  social  organizations.  He  has  always  been 
a  liberal  contributor  in  both  Londonderry  and  Derry. 
He  is  democratic,  whole-souled,  and  sympathetic,  and  his 
going  and  coming  among  the  people  of  Derry  has  ever 
been  an  inspiration  to  the  people  but  never  more  so  than 
to-day.  His  home  is  a  beautiful  one,  solid  and  substan- 
tial, warm  and  cheery  like  its  owner.  Quite  recently 
Colonel  Pillsbury  has  given  a  valuable  piece  of  land  as 
the  site  for  a  new  proposed  municipal  building  in  Derry. 
For  thirty  years  it  has  been  his  wont  to  visit  his  Boston 
office  four  or  five  times  a  week,  and  he  has  long  possessed 
a  wide  acquaintance  among  the  shoe  trade  from  the  At- 
lantic to  the  Pacific. 


272 


COLONEL  FRANCIS  W.   PARKER 


COL.  F.  W.  PARKER. 

Colonel  Francis  W.  Parker,  world  famed  educator,  was 
born  in  that  part  of  the  town  of  Bedford  now  included  in 
the  city  of  Manchester,  October  9,  1837,  and  died  at  Pass 
Christian,  Missouri,  March  2,  1902. 

In  his  youth  he  worked  on  a  farm  and  pursued  steadily 
the  idea  of  gaining  an  education.  First  he  attended  the 
district  school  at  Piscataquog  and  later,  in  succession,  the 
academies  in  Bedford,  Mont  Vernon  and  Hopkinton. 

When  he  was  17  years  of  age  he  began  to  teach  school, 
first  at  Boscawen  and  then  at  Auburn  and  at  Piscataquog, 
having  been  principal  of  the  grammar  school  in  the  latter 
place.  In  1858  he  went  to  Carrolton,  Illinois,  where  he 
remained  as  principal  of  a  grammar  school  until  the  Civil 
War  broke  out. 

When  this  call  of  duty  sounded  he  promptly  returned 
to  New  Hampshire  and  entered  the  Fourth  N.  H.  Volun- 
teers as  a  lieutenant,  enlisting  at  Manchester.  His  war 
record  was  a  brilliant  one,  his  regiment  seeing  some  very 
hard  fighting  and  his  part  in  it  being  of  the  foremost  and 
best.  He  was  wounded  and  once  taken  prisoner  and  when 
the  war  ended  he  had  fought  his  way  to  the  brevet  rank 
of  colonel,  bestowed  upon  him  for  conspicuous  bravery. 

At  the  close  of  the  war  Colonel  Parker  engaged  in 
educational  work  once  more,  at  first  in  Dayton,  Ohio, 
where  he  was  appointed  the  principal  of  the  first  normal 
school  in  that  city.  After  taking  a  trip  abroad,  he  was 
elected  superintendent  of  schools  in  Quincy,  Mass.,  and 

273 


STATE  BUILDERS 

there  first  began  to  attract  the  attention  of  the  entire  edu- 
cational world  by  his  original  work. 

In  1880  he  became  one  of  the  supervisors  of  Boston 
schools  and  soon  afterwards  was  chosen  principal  of  the 
Cook  county  normal  school  in  Chicago'.  Later  he  joined 
the  staff  of  Chicago  University  where  his  merits  as  an 
authority  upon,  and  investigator  of  educational  methods 
was  fully  appreciated. 

To  speak  fittingly  of  Colonel  Parker's  life  work  would 
require  the  full  knowledge  and  trained  pen  of  a  fellow 
expert  along  those  lines.  But  even  the  layman  in  such 
matters  knows  that  to  this  brave  and  honored  son  of  New 
Hampshire  is  due  great  credit  for  the  vast  strides  in  ad- 
vance which  the  cause  of  education  has  made  in  the  last 
two  score  years.  As  a  soldier  he  did  more  than  his 
share  to  save  his  country;  and  then  he  devoted  himself 
with  the  talents  God  had  given  him  to  the  proper  train- 
ing and  culture  of  the  youth  of  the  new  nation  that  was 
rising  into  glorious  power. 


274 


CHARLES  ROBERT  CORNING 


CHARLES  ROBERT  CORNING. 

Since  1899  the  judge  of  probate  for  Merrimack  county 
has  been  Charles  Robert  Corning;,  who  was  born  in  the 
city  of  Concord  on  the  twentieth  of  December,  1855.  He 
was  educated  in  the  city  schools,  later  continuing  his 
studies  at  Phillips  (Andover)  academy,  and  under  a 
private  tutor.  Selecting  the  legal  profession  as  a  life 
calling  he  was  in  1883  admitted  to  the  bar  and  began 
active  practice.  He  at  once  demonstrated  that  he  pos- 
sessed the  judicial  temperament  to  a  fine  degree,  and  that 
his  natural  and  acquired  attainments  fitted  him  for  suc- 
cess and  leadership  and  especially  as  a  counsellor.  This 
early  recognition  of  the  qualities  within  the  man  on  the 
part  of  his  fellow-citizens  and  neighbors  prompted  them 
to  send  him  to  the  popular  branch  of  the  state  legislature 
in  1878  when  he  was  only  twenty-three,  having  been  one 
of  the  youngest  men  ever  chosen  to'  a  like  position  in  any 
state  of  the  Union.  In  1883,  the  year  of  his  admission 
to  the  bar,  he  was  again  returned  to  the  legislature,  a  fact 
that  shows  the  manner  in  which  he  fulfilled  the  duties 
imposed  upon  him  in  the  first  session  was  eminently  sat- 
isfactory to  his  constituents.  At  the  Commencement 
Exercises  in  1887,  Dartmouth  College  conferred  the  de- 
gree of  A.  M.  on  Mr.  Corning.  In  1889  he  was  sent 
to  the  state  senate  and  served  upon  its  more  important 
committees.  In  1891  he  received  from  President  Harri- 
son the  appointment  of  assistant  attorney  in  the  United 
States  department  of  justice  and  held  this  position 

275 


STATE  BUILDERS 

until  1894.  His  appointment  to  the  probate  judgeship 
of  Merrimack  county  gave  widespread  satisfaction, 
for  all  knew  that  in  Judge  Corning  were  those  quali- 
ties of  heart  and  mind  that  make  the  ideal  judge  of 
such  a  court.  In  this  current  year  of  1902  Judge  Corn- 
ing was  elected  Mayor  of  his  native  city  for  a  term  of 
two  years.  Under  his  administration  will  be  built  the 
new  city  hall.  His  fellow-citizens  believe  that  they  have 
in  him  a  chief  executive  eminently  fitted  to  discharge 
every  duty  of  the  important  office.  Judge  Corning  is  a 
member  of  Blazing  Star  lodge,  F.  &  A.  M.,  Concord. 


276 


HORACE  P.  WATTS 


HORACE  P.  WATTS. 

Among  the  New  Hampshire  men  whose  business  sa- 
gacity and  enterprise  and  rugged  honesty  of  character 
entitles  them  to  be  classed  among  the  builders  of  the  state, 
was  the  late  Horace  P.  Watts  of  Manchester.  Born  in 
the  suburb  of  Goff's  Falls,  in  1819,  the  son  of  Daniel  and 
Polly  (Darrah)  Watts,  he  lived  nearly  his  whole  life  as  a 
citizen  of  Manchester,  and  when  he  passed  to  his  reward 
the  morning  of  August  14,  1890,  he  was  sincerely 
mourned  by  a  wide  circle  of  friends  and  associates,  whose 
love  and  respect  he  had  gained  by  his  admirable  traits  of 
character  and  his  walk  and  conversation  for  many  years. 
Mr.  Watts  gained  his  early  education  in  those  nurseries 
of  sturdy  character  and  independence,  the  public  schools 
of  his  vicinity,  and  continued  it  at  Pinkerton  academy  in 
Deny,  then,  as  now,  distinguished  for  the  thoroughness 
of  its  instruction  and  the  character  of  its  graduates.  He 
early  entered  upon  a  business  career  and  by  his  shrewd- 
ness and  energy  established  a  successful  business.  After 
a  time  he  became  a  member  of  the  milling  firm  of  Hall, 
Watts  &  Co.,  which  for  a  long  time  conducted  the  exten- 
sive flour  and  milling  business  on  the  Piscataquog  river, 
on  the  site  now  occupied  by  the  American  Shuttle  com- 
pany's mill,  previously  operated  by  J.  Baldwin  &  Son. 
This  business  was  one  of  the  most  extensive  of  its  kind  in 
the  State,  and  at  the  time  of  its  destruction  by  fire  in 
1875,  it  was  grinding  about  seventy-five  thousand  bushels 
of  wheat  and  the  same  amount  of  corn  per  annum.  From 

277 


STATE  BUILDERS 

this  time  on,  Mr.  Watts  engaged  himself  entirely  in  bank- 
ing and  financial  matters  and  in  the  charitable  and  church 
work  in  which  he  had  always  been  largely  interested.  Mr. 
Watts  was  one  of  the  directors  of  the  Manchester  Na- 
tional bank,  and  for  a  time  a  director  of  the  old  Nashua 
&  Lowell  railroad,  now  absorbed  in  the  Boston  &  Maine 
system.  He  was  also  a  director  of  the  First  National 
bank  of  Castleton,  Dakota,  and  president  of  the  Security 
Loan  &  Trust  company  of  the  same  place.  In  various 
capacities  he  was  interested  in  other  leading  financial  in- 
stitutions. No  local  enterprise  of  a  public  nature  failed 
to  receive  his  support.  He  was  an  active  member  o*f  the 
Manchester  Board  of  Trade.  When  it  became  neces- 
sary to  build  the  First  Congregational  church,  he  was 
largely  instrumental  in  causing  its  removal  to  the  fine 
location  at  the  corner  of  Hanover  and  Union  streets  and 
contributed  $5000  to  the  erection  o>f  the  new  edifice,  and 
he  was  for  ten  years  president  of  the  society  of  the 
Church. 

In  the  charitable  work  of  Manchester,  as  has  been  said, 
Mr.  Watts  was  much  interested.  The  Elliot  hospital,  the 
Children's  home,  the  City  mission  and  the  Woman's  Aid 
home  were  objects  of  his  solicitude  and  liberal  contribu- 
tions. 

He  was  firm,  yet  kind;  generous,  yet  just;  calm,  deliber- 
ate, and  thoughtful,  weighing  his  every  act  in  the  scales 
of  right. 

His  lofty  symmetrical  character,  his  life  of  unselfish 
purity  and  benevolence,  won  for  him  the  confidence,  re- 
spect, and  esteem  of  all  whose  life  he  entered.  Few  men 
merited  a  more  prominent  position  in  the  affairs  of  the 
city  in  which  he  lived  than  did  he.  Yet  his  retiring,  mod- 
est disposition  caused  him  to  refuse  many  honors  which 
his  fellow  citizens  would  have  gladly  bestowed  upon  him. 

Politically,  Mr.  Watts  was  a  Republican,  but  never  an 
active  aspirant  for  political  honors.  He  represented  Lon- 

278 


STATE  BUILDERS 

donderry  in  the  legislature  in  1865  and  served  for  a  time 
as  commissioner  for  Rockingham  county,  and  served  on 
the  board  of  assessors  in  Manchester  one  year.  Mr. 
Watts  married  in  1842,  Maria  Boyd,  who  survived  him 
five  years,  her  death  occurring  March  28,  1895.  Of  this 
union  there  were  born  four  children;  one,  a. boy,  passed 
away  in  infancy.  His  oldest  daughter,  now  deceased, 
Martha  B.,  married  W.  F.  Holmes;  his  second  daughter, 
Annie  E.,  is  the  wife  of  Rosecrans  W.  Pillsbury  of  Lon- 
donderry, and  Mary  Alice  was  his  third  daughter. 

To  his  home  life  Mr.  Watts  was  especially  devoted. 
The  attractions  o<f  politics  had  few  charms  for  him,  and 
he  never  allowed  the  cares  of  business  to  deprive  him  of 
the  pleasures  of  his  own  family. 


279 


MISS  MARY  ALICE  WATTS. 

The  American  woman  is  undoubtedly  the  highest  type 
of  her  sex.  Her  supremacy  is  as  inexplicable  to  the  for- 
eigner as  it  is  everywhere  acknowledged.  In  what  it 
consists  authorities  disagree.  Whether  it  be  in  her  easy 
adaptation  to  all  circumstances  and  conditions;  in  that 
comprehensive  education  which  she  receives,  beginning 
in  public  schools  and  completed  in  academy,  seminary  or 
college;  in  that  native  alertness,  intelligence  and  tact 
which  are  hers  universally,  the  American  woman  has 
secured. her  fame  and  reputation  in  the  world. 

Miss  Mary  Alice  Watts  of  Manchester  is  a  beautiful 
example  of  this  American  type.  Born  as  she  was  in  the 
most  populous  and  enterprising  city  of  New  Hampshire, 
she  received  her  early  education  in  the  public  schools  of 
her  native  place.  No  institution  in  this  country  has  so 
justified  its  existence  as  the  public  school.  It  teaches 
those  who  pass  through  it  to  appreciate  men  and  women 
at  their  true  value,  and  as  a  foundation  for  higher  culture 
has  no  real  competitor.  Supplementing  this  with  a 
course  at  the  celebrated  Abbott  academy,  of  Andover, 
Mass.,  and  a  year  spent  in  travel  across  the  Atlantic, 
Miss  Watts  had  exceptional  opportunities  for  observa- 
tion and  self-culture.  These  she  thoroughly  improved 
and  as  a  result  she  is  one  of  the  most  pleasing  and  enter- 
taining of  conversationalists.  Her  beautiful  home  on 
Beech  street,  the  family  residence,  contains  many 
souvenirs  of  her  extensive  travel,  and  her  library  is  filled 

280 


MARY  ALICE  WATTS 


STATE  BUILDERS 

with  the  best  works  of  leading  writers  in  poetry,  history, 
fiction  and  all  the  departments  of  literature.  Her  home 
displays  all  the  evidences  of  refined  and  cultured  tastes, 
and  is  the  centre  of  a  delightful  yet  unobtrusive  hospi- 
tality. Naturally  Miss  Watts  is  a  social  favorite,  her 
graces  of  mind  and  manner  attracting  many  friends  and 
retaining  them.  Like  the  typical  American  woman  that 
she  is,  Miss  Watts  is  largely  interested  in  the  philan- 
thropic institutions  of  the  city,  and  her  life  is  filled  with 
numberless  acts  of  kindness.  The  Woman's  Aid  home 
and  the  Elliot  hospital,  of  which  she  is  a  trustee,  are  con- 
spicuously objects  of  her  solicitude,  and  the  City  Mis- 
sion and  Children's  home  are  not  strangers  to  her  bounty. 
Trained  and  experienced  in  business  matters  as  she  is, 
possessed  of  executive  ability  and  administering  her 
affairs  with  wisdom  and  skill,  she  has  lost  thereby  none 
of  the  graces  of  womanhood,  and  in  that  sense  also  is 
typical  of  the  cultured  American  lady — always  approach- 
able, amiable  and  kind,  able  to  do,  but  graceful  in  the 
doing.  Her  home  life  is  simple  and  peculiarly  attractive, 
and  the  sweetness  and  nobility  of  her  character  are  recog- 
nized by  all  who  come  within  the  circle  of  her  influence. 
She  is  a  member  of  the  First  Congregational  church,  and 
a  valued  helper  in  the  varied  work  of  the  society,  whose 
lofty  ideals,  attractive  personality  and  charming  man- 
ners are  a  power  for  good  in  the  community. 


281 


HENRY  F.  HOLLIS. 

Henry  French  Hollis,  of  Concord,  the  most  widely 
known  man  of  his  age  in  New  Hampshire,  was  born  in 
West  Concord,  August  30,  1869,  the  son  of  Major  Abijah 
and  Harriette  V.  M.  (French)  Hollis.  He  traces  his 
ancestry  on  both  sides  to  leaders  in  the  colonial  and  early 
national  history  of  our  country.  His  father  is  a  veteran  of 
the  Civil  war  and  a  prominent  business  man  of  Concord 
for  half  a  century.  One  maternal  great-grandfather  was 
William  M.  Richardson  of  Chester,  who  was  Chief  Jus- 
tice of  the  N.  H.  Supreme  Court  from  1816  to  1838, 
while  the  other  maternal  great-grandfather  was  Daniel 
French,  Attorney-General  of  the  state.  His  maternal 
grandfather  was  Hon.  Henry  F.  French,  Judge  of  the 
N.  H.  Court  of  Common  Pleas,  and  Assistant  Secretary 
of  the  United  States  Treasury  from  Grant  to  Cleveland. 
An  uncle  is  Daniel  C.  French,  the  sculptor. 

Henry  F.  Hollis  was  graduated  from  the  Concord  High 
school  in  1886  and  for  the  ensuing  year  was  engaged  in 
railroad  engineering  between  Denver  and  San  Francisco 
and  in  a  survey  of  the  intervening  mountain  passes.  Re- 
turning East  he  prepared  at  Concord,  Mass.,  to  enter 
Harvard  college,  graduating  in  the  class  of  1892.  He  at- 
tended the  Harvard  Law  School  and  also'  studied  law 
with  the  late  Judge  William  L.  Foster  of  Concord. 

In  1893  he  was  admitted  to  the  bar  and  since  that  time 
has  practised  his  profession  with  notable  success  in  New 
Hampshire  and  other  courts.  Since  1899  he  has  been  a 

282 


HENRY  FRENCH   HOLLIS 


STATE  BUILDERS 

partner  of  Attorney  General  Edwin  G.  Eastman  under 
the  firm  name  of  Eastman  &  Hollis,  and  the  important 
cases  which  they  have  handled  are  too  numerous  to  men- 
tion. 

Mr.  Hollis  served  one  term  on  the  board  of  education 
in  Concord,  declining  a  re-election;  and  has  been  a  trustee 
of  the  New  Hampshire  Savings  bank  since  1895.  He  is 
a  member  of  many  clubs  and  societies,  and  is  as  popular 
socially  as  would  be  expected  of  a  gentleman  possessing 
as  much  affability,  culture  and  savoir  faire. 

In  1900  Mr.  Hollis  sprang  full-armed  into  the  arena 
of  politics  and  in  the  few  years  that  have  since  elapsed  he 
has  made  himself  a  national  figure  and  has  achieved  a 
reputation  that  for  so  young  a  man,  in  the  ranks  of  a 
minority  party,  is  little  short  of  marvellous. 

In  1900  he  was  the  candidate  of  the  New  Hampshire 
Democracy  for  congress  in  the  second  district  and  made 
a  vigorous  and  brilliant  campaign,  speaking  extensively 
and  gaining  wide  credit  for  both  eloquence  and  good 
sense.  In  the  summer  of  1902  he  was  one  of  the  prime 
movers  in  the  formation  of  the  New  England  Democratic 
league,  serving  as  its  secretary  and  treasurer.  He  is, 
also,  the  New  Hampshire  member  of  the  national  Demo- 
cratic congressional  committee. 

In  the  summer  of  1902  he  was  unanimously  called  to 
the  chairmanship  of  the  New  Hampshire  Democratic 
committee  and  this  position  he  filled  most  ably  for  several 
months  until  another  imperative  call  came  from  his  party 
that  he  should  be  its  standard  bearer  in  the  gubernatorial 
campaign.  This  duty  he  took  up  and  discharged,  as  he 
does  all  that  comes  to  him  in  the  varied  walks  of  life,  with 
energy,  enthusiasm,  good  judgment  and  sincere  purpose. 
It  is  believed  that  no  candidate  for  governor  in  New 
Hampshire  ever  ran  so  far  ahead  of  his  ticket  as  did  Mr. 
Hollis,  who  was  defeated  by  only  8,000  votes,  the  regular 
Republican  majority  being  15,000. 

283 


JOHN  HENRY  ALBIN. 

John  Henry  Albin  of  Concord,  successful  lawyer,  rail- 
road president  and  inan  of  affairs,  was  born  in  Randolph, 
Vt.,  October  17,  1843,  the  son  of  John  and  Emily 
(White)  Albin,  his  ancestors  on  both  sides  coming  from 
England  to  America  during  the  Colonial  period. 

His  parents  moving  to  Concord  in  his  youth,  he  pre- 
pared in  the  public  and  High  schools  of  that  city  for 
Dartmouth  college,  from  which  he  graduated  in  the  class 
of  1864.  He  then  studied  law  in  the  office  of  Hon.  Ira 
A.  Eastman  of  Concord  and  was  admitted  to  the  bar  in 
1868.  From  that  date  he  has  been  continuously  engaged 
in  the  practice  of  his  profession  in  Concord,  and  has 
attained  high  rank  in  all  its  branches,  but  especially  in 
the  department  of  corporate  law. 

Always  a  stalwart  Republican,  Mr.  Albin  has  served 
two  terms  in  the  legislature,  where  he  did  valuable  service 
and  was  an  acknowledged  leader  of  his  party. 

Mr.  Albin  has  been  largely  engaged  in  the  develop- 
ment and  management  of  steam  and  electric  railroad 
properties  in  New  England,  showing  in  this  capacity  re- 
markable executive  ability.  He  is  president  and  a  di- 
rector of  the  Sullivan  County  railroad  of  New  Hamp- 
shire; director  of  the  Connecticut  River  railroad  of  Mas- 
sachusetts; and  director  of  the  Vermont  Valley  railroad 
of  Vermont.  Until  its  recent  sale  to  a  syndicate  he  was 
the  president  and  principal  owner  of  the  Concord  street 
railway,  a  property  which  was  greatly  enlarged  and  im- 
proved under  his  control. 

284 


JOHN  H.  ALBIN 


STATE  BUILDERS 

The  I.  O.  O.  F.  of  the  state  and  nation  owe  much  to 
General  Albin's  long  and  influential  connection  with  the 
order.  He  was  Grand  Master  of  the  grand  lodge  of 
New  Hampshire  in  1879,  and  for  several  sessions  repre- 
sented the  grand  lodge  of  the  state  in  the  Sovereign 
grand  lodge,  of  which  body  he  afterwards  served  as 
grand  marshal  for  several  sessions.  While  an  officer  of 
the  sovereign  grand  lodge  he  prepared  the  ritual  and  was 
largely  the  author  of  the  legislation  which  established 
the  Patriarch  Militant  rank  of  the  order.  He  was  one 
of  the  founders  of  the  Odd  Fellows  home  of  New  Hamp*- 
shire  and  has  served  as  one  of  its  trustees  since  its  organ- 
ization. 

Mr.  Albin  was  married  on  September  5,  1872,  to  Miss 
Georgia  A.  Mordica,  who  passed  away  during  the  pres- 
ent year  (1902)  after  a  beautiful  and  useful  life  in  her 
home,  in  her  church  and  in  society.  To  them  two  chil- 
dren were  born :  Henry  A.  Albin,  superintendent  of  the 
Concord  &  Manchester  Street  railway,  and  Miss  Edith 
G.  Albin. 

General  Albin's  career  has  been  a  singularly  successful 
one,  and  it  is  still  at  its  flood  tide.  Plis  thorough  and 
accurate  knowledge  of  the  law  and  his  power  as  an  advo- 
cate have  placed  him  at  the  head  of  his  profession;  his 
sagacity  and  enterprise  have  won  him  an  assured  posi- 
tion in  business  circles;  and  his  genial  and  magnetic 
personality,  coupled  with  his  distinguished  abilities,  have 
made  him  an  honored  and  esteemed  member  of  the  so- 
cial and  public  life  of  the  community. 


JOHN     HOSLEY. 

John  Hosley  was  born  in  Hancock  May  12,  1826,  and 
died  in  Manchester  March  24,  1890. 

He  was  one  of  nine  children  of  Samuel  and  Sophia 
(Wilson)  Hosley  and  was  of  English  ancestry  on  both 
sides.  His  mother's  lineage  traced  back  to  1640  when 
Rev.  John  Wilson  settled  at  the  head  of  Wilson's  Lane  in 
Boston.  Mr.  Hosley  was  also  a  lineal  descendant  of  Gov- 
ernor John  Wrinthrop.  His  great-grandfather,  James 
Hosley,  was  a  prominent  official  of  the  town  of  Town- 
send,  Mass.,  and  in  1775  was  captain  of  the  "alarm  list" 
that  marched  to  the  defence  of  Cambridge.  Later  he  was 
captain  of  a  company  which  marched  to  the  assistance  of 
General  Gates  at  Saratoga.  After  the  Revolution  this 
James  Hosley  moved  to  Hancock,  and  the  same  farm  he 
then  occupied  was  handed  down  to  his  descendants. 

John  Hosley  worked  on  a  farm  in  youth  and  made  the 
most  of  what  schooling  he  could  get.  When  he  was  twen- 
ty years  of  age  he  went  to  Manchester  and  went  to  work 
as  a  shoe  cutter  for  Moses  Fellows,  the  fourth  mayor  of 
the  city.  In  1849  Mr.  Hosley  began  work  as  a  weaver  in 
the  Amoskeag  Mills,  but  the  gold  excitement  then  preva- 
lent caught  him  in  its  rush  and  carried  him  in  1851  to 
California  where  he  remained  two  years.  Returning  to 
Manchester  he  was  for  a  time  in  the  grocery  business, 
then  became  an  overseer  in  the  Amoskeag  Mills  and  re- 
mained in  that  position  until  1865. 

Mr.  Hosley  was  a  member  of  the  common  council  in 

286 


JOHN  HOSLEY 


STATE  BUILDERS 

1856-57;  member  of  the  school  board  in  1861-62;  and 
alderman  in  1863,  '64,  '71,  'Si  and  '82.  Upon  the  death 
of  Mayor  Daniels  in  1865  Alderman  Hosley  was  chosen 
to  fill  the  vacancy  and  the  next  year  he  was  elected  mayor 
as  a  citizens'  candidate.  In  1886  he  was  again  chosen 
mayor.  He  was  city  tax  collector  in  1875-76.  In  1865 
he  was  a  delegate  to  the  national  union  convention  in 
Philadelphia. 

Mr.  Hosley  was  a  gentleman  of  the  old  school,  a  true 
descendant  of  a  race  of  hardy  pioneers,  inheriting  the  cool 
judgment  and  great  ability  of  his  ancestors.  He  was 
strictly  honest  and  conscientious  in  all  his  public  and 
private  dealings,  and  the  fact  that  he  was  so  often  called 
to  fill  important  public  offices  emphasizes  the  apprecia- 
tion and  admiration  with  which  he  was  regarded  by  his 
contemporaries. 

He  stepped  from  the  ranks  of  the  workers  to  the  helm 
of  affairs  at  the  instance  of  those  who  knew  his  worth, 
and  filled  each  position  to  the  city's  honor  and  his  own. 
It  was  men  like  John  Hosley  who  made  Manchester  the 
city  she  is  and  to  them  she  o\ves  a  heavy  debt. 

Mr.  Hosley  married  in  1854  Dorothea  H.,  daughter  of 
Samuel  and  Cornelia  Jones  of  Weare.  They  had  one 
daughter,  Marian  J.,  wife  of  Dr.  William  M.  Parsons  of 
Manchester.  Mr.  Hosley  was  a  Unitarian  in  religious 
belief,  a  member  of  Hillsborough  lodge,  I.  O.  O.  F.,  of 
Lafayette  lodge,  A.  F.  and  A.  M.,  ancl  of  the  Knights 
Templar. 


287 


ALICE    M.    M.    CHESLEY,    M.  D. 

Alice  M.  M.  Chesley,  M.  D.,  of  Exeter,  one  of  the 
most  widely  known  and  highly  successful  of  the  women 
physicians  of  New  Hampshire,  was  born  in  Nottingham, 
that  state,  October  14,  1861,  the  daughter  of  Dr.  Lafay- 
ette and  Mrs.  Hannah  D.  (Jones)  Chesley.  Her  father 
was  a  practising  physician  in  Exeter  so  that  her  predilec- 
tion for  her  chosen  profession  was  inherited  as  well  as 
acquired.  As  a  young  girl  Miss  Chesley  was  eager  to 
gain  a  broad  and  thorough  culture.  She  graduated  at 
the  High  school  in  Charlestown,  Mass.,  at  Chester 
academy,  and  at  the  Maine  State  normal  school.  She 
studied  two  years  at  Ann  Arbor,  Mich.,  but  was  called 
home  by  the  death  of  her  father  and  sister.  Her  med- 
ical education  was  then  completed  at  Tufts  college, 
Boston.  Mass. 

Large  hospital  experience  at  Detroit,  New  York  and 
Boston  has  supplemented  her  professional  studies  and 
has  given  her  skill  of  such  degree  as  to  secure  for  her 
a  large  practice  in  Exeter.  She  is  a  member  of  the  New 
Hampshire  Medical  society,  admission  to  which  is  a 
recognition  of  ethical  and  practical  devotion  to  the  sci- 
ence of  medicine. 

Dr.  Chesley's  ability  and  faithfulness  have  been  recog- 
nized outside  the  beaten  paths  of  her  profession,  for  her 
services  were  sought  and  secured  by  the  county  of  Rock- 
ingham  for  the  important  and  laborious  task  of  revising 
and  indexing  the  records  book,  dating  back  to  1622. 

288 


ALICE  M.  M.  CHESLEY,   M.D. 


STATE  BUILDERS 

This  work  was  done  so  carefully  and  well  as  to  gain 
general  praise. 

Dr.  Chesley's  career  is  an  excellent  illustration  of 
what  the  young  womanhood  of  New  England  can  ac- 
complish when  its  ability  and  application  are  commen- 
snrate  with  its  ambition.  Every  woman  physician  who 
unites  in  herself,  as  Miss  Chesley  does,  industry,  intel- 
ligence, skill,  training  and  a  sincere  desire  to  serve,  fills 
a  want,  great  and  long  recognized. 


289 


CHANCEY  ADAMS,  M.  D. 

Chancey  Adams,  A.  M.,  M.  D.,  a  successful  medical 
practitioner  of  Concord,  was  born  in  North  New  Port- 
land, Me.,  March  15,  1861,  son  of  Benjamin  and  Eliza 
Briton  (Sawyer)  Adams.  He  belongs  to  a  branch  of 
the  famous  old  Massachusetts  family  of  the  same  name. 
Henry  Adams,  the  founder  of  the  Massachusetts  family, 
\vas  an  English  emigrant,  who  came  over  to  this  country 
in  the  year  1630,  \vith  his  eight  sons  and  settled  in 
Braintree,  in  the  Colony  of  Massachusetts.  Of  these 
eight  sons,  one  subsequently  returned  tc  England.  The 
names  of  the  others  according  to  the  records  of  Massa- 
chusetts, were:  Peter,  Henry,  Thomas,  Edward,  Jona- 
than, Samuel  and  Joseph.  Samuel  was  the  father  of 
two  sons,  one  of  whom  was  Joseph  Adams,  who  lived 
in  North  Chelmsford,  Mass.  Joseph  was  the  father  of 
Benjamin  Adams,  who  was  the  father  of  William 
Adams,  who  was  the  father  of  Solomon  Adams,  who 
was  the  great-grandfather  of  Dr.  Adams.  Solomon 
Adams  migrated  from  North  Chelmsford,  Mass.,  his 
native  town,  to  Farmington,  Me.,  at  the  close  of  the 
Revolutionary  War.  The  record  shows  that  he  served 
his  country  during  that  war  from  May  15,  1777,  to  May 
15,  1780,  in  Captain  James  Varnum's  company,  of 
Colonel  Michael  Jackson's  regiment;  but  his  active  mili- 
tary service  actually  extended  beyond  these  dates.  Wil- 
liam Adams,  son  of  Solomon  and  grandfather  of  Dr. 
Adams,  was  a  native  of  Farmington,  Me.  He  passed 

290 


CHANCEY  ADAMS,  M.D. 


STATE  BUILDERS 

his  entire  life  in  that  town,  engaged  in  farming,  and 
died  Jtme  12,  1862,  at  the  age  of  seventy-three  years. 
He  married  Nancy  Hiscock,  and  had  a  numerous  family 
of  children,  of  whom  three  died  in  infancy.  The  others 
were  born  as  follows:  Thomas  H.,  March  14,  1813; 
Hannah  B.,  October  19,  1815;  William,  Jr.,  August  21, 
1817;  Nancy  K.,  August  4,  1819;  John  R.,  August  17, 
1821;  Benjamin,  April  7,  1823;  Samuel,  April  n,  1825; 
Lucy  J.,  October  6,  1829;  and  Dolly,  SqDtember  3,  1835. 
Of  these  Benjamin,  the  father  of  Dr.  Adams,  was  the 
last  survivor.  He  was  a  native  of  Farmington,  Me.  In 
early  manhood  he  studied  law  while  teaching  school, 
and  was  subsequently  admitted  to  the  Franklin  County 
bar.  He  then  took  up  his  residence  in  North  New  Port- 
land, Me.,  where  he  was  engaged  in  the  practice  o<f  his 
profession  from  1847  to  l&7°>  when  he  moved  to  North 
Anson,  Me.  From  1849  to  J854  ne  was  Postmaster  at 
North  New  Portland.  He  was  Register  of  Probate  from 
1854  to  1855.  In  1873  ne  was  a  member  of  the  House 
of  Representatives  of  the  Maine  legislature.  He  was  a 
Congregationalist  in  religious  belief.  In  1849  ne  mar- 
ried Eliza  Briton  Sawyer,  daughter  of  Ephraim  and 
Elizabeth  (Williams)  Sawyer.  During  the  last  nine 
years  of  his  life  he  made  his  home  with  his  son,  Dr. 
Adams,  at  Concord,  N.  H.  He  died  at  the  Margaret 
Pillsbury  General  Ho-spital  at  Concord,  N.  H.,  of  apo- 
plexy, on  July  17,  1902,  after  a  short  illness  of  five  days, 
at  the  advanced  age  of  seventy-nine  years,  three  months 
and  ten  days. 

Eliza  B.  Adams,  born  in  New  Portland,  Maine,  was 
one  of  twelve  children,  of  whom  five  died  before  reach- 
ing the  age  of  ten  years.  The  others  were  born  as  fol- 
lows: William,  September  3,  1803;  Sophronia,  January 
i,  1807;  Emeline,  January  23,  18*0;  Ann,  October 
9,  1812;  Albina,  February  15,  1815;  Viola  F.,  April  5, 
1818;  and  Eliza  B.,  January  29,  1824. 

291 


STATE  BUILDERS 

-  Mrs.  Adams  died  at  North  New  Portland,  Me.,  of 
pneumonia,  April  20,  .1893,  after  a  short  illness  of  three 
days.  She  was  a  Universalist  in  religious  belief. 

Lemuel  Williams,  the  grandfather  of  Mrs.  Adams, 
was  a  native  of  Woolwich,  Mass.,  now  in  Maine.  Hav- 
ing enlisted  m  Colonel  Nixon's  regiment,  he  served 
during  a  part  of  the  Revolutionary  War.  The  children 
of  Benjamin  Adams  were  Sarah  Frances,  Ellen  Maria, 
and  Chancey.  Sarah  Frances,  who  married  John  P. 
Clark,  a  lumberman  of  Skowhegan,  Me.,  has  had  six  chil- 
dren, of  whom  five  are  living.  Ellen  Maria  died  at  the 
age  of  two  and  one-half  years. 

Chancey  Adams  was  educated  in  the  district  schools 
of  North  Anson,  Me.,  and  at  Anson  Academy,  graduat- 
ing from  the  latter  institution  in  the  class  of  1880.  For 
six  months  after  his  graduation  he  was  employed  in  the 
drug  store  at  North  Anson.  Then,  feeling  the  need  of 
additional  education,  he  entered  Waterville  Classical  In- 
stitute (now  Coburn  Classical  Institute,  Waterville, 
Me.),  and  graduated  from  the  same  in  1881.  In  the 
autumn  he  became  a  student  of  Colby  University  (now 
Colby  College)  in  Waterville,  and,  after  completing  the 
course,  graduated  in  1885.  After  this  he  taught  for 
several  terms  in  the  district  schools  of  Waldoboro  and 
Embden  and  in  the  Phillips  High  School.  Having  de- 
cided to  enter  the  medical  profession,  he  attended  the 
Portland  Medical  School  and  the  Maine  Medical  School 
in  Brunswick  during  the  years  1888,  1890,  and  1891, 
graduating  (from  the  latter  institution)  in  June  of  the 
last  named  year.  From  1886  to  1891  he  employed  all 
his  spare  time  in  a  drug  store  in  the  interests  of  his  in- 
tended profession.  After  graduating  from  the  Maine 
Medical  School,  he  entered  the  United  States  Marine 
Hospital  at  Staten  Island.  Thence  he  went  to  Taunton, 
Mass.,  as  assistant  physician  in  the  insane  asylum  of  that 
city,  where  he  remained  until  January  i,  1893.  Desiring 

292 


STATE  BUILDERS 

to  qualify  himself  still  further  for  the  medical  profession, 
he  then  went  to  New  York  City,  and  took  a  three 
months'  course,  in  the  Post-Graduate  Medical  School  and 
Hospital.  After  this,  on  September  26,  1893,  he  opened 
an  office  in  Concord,  where  he  has  since  been  in  active 
practice.  Dr.  Adams  already  occupies  a  front  place  in 
his  chosen  calling1,  and  his  ability  and  skill  are  acknowl- 
edged by  his  medical  associates.  He  has  been  elected 
a  member  of  the  North  Bristol  (Mass.)  Medical  Society, 
which  made  him  a  member  of  the  Massachusetts  State 
Medical  Society.  He  also  belongs  to  the  Centre  District 
Medical  Society  of  New  Hampshire  and  the  New  Hamp- 
shire State  Medical  Society.  '  On  January  25,  1897,  he 
was  elected  City  Physician  of  Concord  for  two  years. 
On  March  9,  1903,  he  was  elected  to  the  Board  of  Health 
of  Concord  for  three  years. 

On  January  9,  1893,  Dr.  Adams  married  Laurinda 
Clara  Coombs  of  Gloucester,  Mass.  They  have  had 
three  children;  Benjamin  W.,  who  died  in  infancy;  Ed- 
mund Chancey  and  Elizabeth  Beimer.  In  politics  the 
Doctor  is  a  Democrat,  and  he  cast 'his  first  Presidential 
vote  for  Grover  Cleveland  in  1884.  In  1887  he  was 
made  a  Mason  in  Northern  Star  Lodge,  No.  28,  A.  F.  & 
A.  M.,  North  Anson,  Me.,  but  is  now  a  member  of  Blaz- 
ing'Star  Lodge,  No.  n,  A.  F.  &  A.  M.  of  Concord;  and 
of  Concord  Lodge,  No.  8,  K.  of  P.,  of  Concord.  Amply 
qualified  by  the  services  rendered  to  their  country  by  his 
ancestry  on  both  sides,  Dr.  Adams  is  also  a  member  of  the' 
Sons  of  the  American  Revolution  of  Concord. 


293 


CHARLES    H.    SAWYER. 

Charles  Henry  Sawyer,  governor  of  New  Hampshire 
from  1887  to  1889,  was  born  at  Waterto\vn,  New  York, 
March  30,  1840,  the  eldest  son  of  Jonathan  and  Martha 
(Perkins)  Sawyer.  When  he  was  ten  years  of  age,  his 
father  removed  to  Dover,  New  Hampshire,  where  the 
son  after  spending  six  years  in  the  public  schools  of  that 
city,  was  entered  as  an  apprentice  in  the  Sawyer  mills, 
established  by  his  father,  where  he  thoroughly  acquainted 
himself  by  actual  labor  with  every  branch  of  the  business, 
and  at  the  age  of  twenty-six  was  made  superintendent  of 
the  plant.  In  1873,  the  company  being  incorporated,  he 
became  one  of  the  owners  and  advanced  successively  to 
the  posts  of  general  director  and  president.  During  his 
administration  of  this  industry  it  rose  to  a  prominent 
position  among  the  largest  and  strongest  woollen  manu- 
facturing corporations  in  the  country,  a  result  due  in  no 
small  measure  to  the  capacity  and  ability  of  the  president 
of  the  company. 

His  marked  adaptability  to  posts  of  executive  manage- 
ment centred  upon  him  the  attention  of  his  fellow-citizens, 
and  while  still  a  young  man  he  served  in  both  branches 
of  the  city  government  of  Dover  and  for  four  terms  was 
sent  to  represent  that  community  in  the  state  legislature, 
serving  during  the  sessions  of  1869  and  1870,  1876,  and 
1877,  and  filling  important  positions  upon  the  largest 
committees  of  the  house.  In  1881,  he  was  appointed  aide- 
de-camp  upon  the  staff  of  Gov.  Charles  H.  Bell  with  the 

294 


CHARLES  H.  SAWYER, 

Governor  of  New  Hampshire, 


STATE  BUILDERS 

rank  of  colonel.  In  1884,  he  was  one  of  New  Hamp- 
shire's delegates-at-large  to  the  Republican  national  con- 
vention in  Chicago,  and  in  1886,  he  was  elected  governor 
of  the  state.  His  term  as  chief  magistrate  covered  a 
period  of  great  activity  in  legislative  lines,  and  Governor 
Sawyer's  conduct  of  his  great  office  was  marked  by  con- 
spicuous adherence  to  his  conscientious  scruples  and  with 
high  regard  for  the  best  interests  of  tht  commonwealth 
whose  destinies  so  largely  rested  in  his  hands.  He  filled 
the  office  so  as  to  win  a  noble  reputation  for  diligence, 
honor  and  prudence. 

In  addition  to  the  extensive  interests  represented  in  his 
private  business,  Governor  Sawyer  devoted  himself 
actively  to  many  other  industrial  and  fiduciary  interests 
in  the  city  of  Dover,  and  has  served  as  a  director  in  the 
Strafford  National  bank,  a  trustee  of  the  Strafford  Sav- 
ings bank,  a  director  in  the  Somers worth  Machine  com- 
pany and  the  Dover  Gaslight  company,  as  president  of 
the  Eliot  Bridge  company,  and  as  a  director  in  the  Ports- 
mouth &  Dover  railroad.  , 

Governor  Sawyer,  now  retired  from  active  business 
life,  still  maintains  his  residence  in  Dover,  and  though 
rarely  taking  public  part  in  matters  which  engross  general 
attention,  he  still  retains  a  deep  interest  in  all  that  per- 
tains to  New  Hampshire's  welfare  and  keeps  in  close 
touch  with  the  movements  of  public  thought  in  commer- 
cial and  legislative  circles.  Surrounded  by  the  evidences 
of  his  active  career  he  leads  a  life  of  dignified  leisure, 
sweetened  by  the  respect  and  affection  of  that  large  body 
of  his  fellow-citizens,  among  whom  he  has  spent  so  many 
years  of  beneficent  activity. 


295 


JANE  ELIZABETH  HOYT,  M.  D. 

The  daughter  of  Sewel  Hoyt,  native  of  Concord 
(Sugar  Hill,  near  Hopkinton),  and  Hannah  Elizabeth 
Nichols,  of  Boston,  Mass. 

Dr.  Hoyt  was  born  in  Concord,  Sept.  23rd,  1860. 
Educated  in  the  public  schools  of  the  city  from  1866  to 
1878.  At  Wellesley  College  from  1879-1883.  Began  her 
medical  course  in  the  Autumn  of  1886,  at  "The  Woman's 
medical  college  of  the  New  York  Infirmary"  (the  Black- 
well  college)  in  New  York  city.  She  was  graduated  after 
a  four  years  course  at  the  same  institution,  May  28th,. 
1890.  She  held  the  position  as  second  assistant  in  the 
New  York  infant  asylum,  6ist  Street  and  loth  Avenue, 
New  York  city,  during  her  senior  year  in  college,  from 
May  i889~May  1890.  This  position  was  obtained  through 
test  examinations  made  under  Profs.  Garrigues,  Chapin 
and  Wendt,  of  New  York  City.  (The  position  has  only 
twice  been  given  to  an  under  graduate. ) 

After  passing  the  summer  of  1890  in  England  and 
Scotland  she  returned  to  America  that  autumn  to  serve  as 
"resident  physician"  at  Lasell  seminary,  Auburndale, 
Mass.,  while  awaiting  an  appointment  for  service  in  the 
New  England  hospital.  While  at  Lasell  seminary,  Sept. 
i89O-June  1891,  nine  months  of  daily  morning  service 
was  given  in  the  surgical  room  at  "The  Boston  dispen- 
sary," Bennet  street,  under  Harvard  clinicians,  Drs.  E. 
O.  Otis,  J.  Foster  Bush  and  Briggs  of  Boston.  Served  as 
intern  in  the  New  England  hospital,  Boston,  Mass,  from 
June  1 89 1 -June  1892. 

296 


JANE  ELIZABETH  HOYT,  M.D. 


STATE  BUILDERS 

June,  1892  she  sailed  again  for  Europe  to  (to  special 
work  at  Vienna,  Austria,  and  to  visit  the  hospitals  of 
Europe.  The  summer  months  were  spent  at  Heidelberg 
in  the  study  of  the  German  language.  She  began  work 
in  the  autumn  at  the  university  in  Vienna  under  Pro- 
fessors Schauter,  Herzfeld,  Kaposy  and  Lukasieweiz  and 
thus  continued  until  January,  1893.  Six  months  of  gen- 
eral visiting  of  hospitals  was  given  to  the  different  cities 
of  Germany  and  Italy,  and  to'  the  cities  of  Zurich,  Paris, 
London  and  Glasgow. 

Returning  to  America  Dr.  Hoyt  began  the  practice  of 
medicine  in  Concord,  N.  H.,  June  1893.  She  continued 
here  in  practice  until  after  the  death  of  her  mother,  when 
it  seemed  best  to  go  abroad  for  the  third  time.  Leaving 
Concord  January  1899,  she  remained  in  foreign  countries 
nearly  three  years.  One  and  a  half  years  were  given  to 
lectures  in  the  Leipzig  university,  Germany,  under  Pn> 
fessors  Chun  (zoology),  Wundt  (psychology  and  history 
of  philosophy),  Schmar sow  (history  of  art). 

Sept.  23rd,  1900  (her  4Oth  birthday)  was  spent  seeing 
the  Oberammergau  passion  play.  Nine  months  were  spent 
in  Italy  as  a  pastime  in  the  study  of  the  old  masters  in  art. 
Three  months  were  given  to  travel  in  North  Africa,  visit- 
ing Tunis,  Algiers,  the  desert  of  Sahara,  together  with  the 
intervening  countries,  which  proved  most  instructive  and 
broadening  in  its  influence.  Dr.  Hoyt  is  now  engaged,  as 
occasion  permits,  in  preparing  for  publication  a  volume 
containing  the  story  of  these  travels,  and  also  a  series  of 
articles  upon  the  same  topics.  Those  who  have  had  the 
pleasure  of  reading  the  published  letters  written  by  Dr. 
Hoyt  during  her  earlier  foreign  tours,  will  appreciate  how 
much  of  pleasure  this  announcement  contains  for  those 
who  admire  a  free  and  graphic  narrative  style,  coupled 
with  habits  of  close  observation. 

In  January,  1902,  Dr.  Hoyt  again  began  the  practice 
of  her  profession  in  Concord  and  in  connection  with  office 

297 


STATE  BUILDERS 

work  has  established  a  clinic  at  the  north  end  of  the  city 
for  the  benefit  of  those  who  need  medical  assistance  and 
are  too  poor  to  go  to  a  physician's  office. 

Dr.  Hoyt's  father,  born  in  1807,  was  one  of  Concord's 
earliest  architects  and  builders.  Several  of  the  houses 
planned  and  builded  by  him  are  standing  in  the  city  to- 
day. The  old  homestead,  the  present  home  and  office  of 
Dr.  Hoyt,  at  No.  85  North  State  street,  is  one  of  them, 
and  it  is  her  purpose  to  leave  this  building  to  the  city  of 
Concord  as  a  memorial  to  her  father's  name  and  work- 
manship, and  as  a  home  for  working  girls,  to  be  known  as 
"The  Sewel  Hoyt  Memorial  Home  for  Young  Women." 

Dr.  Hoyt's  father  and  mother  were  both  descendants  of 
fighters  in  the  war  of  the  American  Revolution. 


CHARLES  T.  MEANS 


CHARLES  T.  MEANS. 

Charles  Tracy  Means  was  born  in  Manchester  Jan.  20, 
1855,  the  son  of  William  Gordon  Means  and  Martha 
Allen,  and  died  January  25,  1902. 

He  was  educated  in  the  common  schools  at  Andover, 
Mass.,  where  he  had  resided  as  a  youth,  and  at  the 
Worcester  Military  Academy.  He  began  his  active 
career  as  a  business  man  in  Manchester  with  the  Man- 
chester Locomotive  Works,  in  which  his  father  was  pos- 
sessed of  a  large  interest  and  in  which  the  younger  man 
mastered  every  detail  of  the  business,  finally  rising  to  the 
management  of  the  entire  concern  during  the  period  of  its 
greatest  prosperity. 

Mr.  Means  was  naturally  born  into  public  life,  and  in 
1883,  was  elected  to*  represent  his  ward  in  the  state  legis- 
lature. Six  years  later  he  was  chosen  a  member  of  the 
state  senate,  and  his  services  in  both  branches  of  the  Gen- 
eral Court  were  marked  by  intelligent  appreciation  of  the 
public  needs  and  by  a  conscientious  endeavor  to  discharge 
his  duties  to  his  constituents. 

In  1892,  Mr.  Means  was  selected  as  a  delegate-at-large 
to  the  national  Republican  convention  at  Minneapolis, 
and  four  years  later  he  received  the  almost  unprecedented 
honor  of  being  again  chosen  to  head  the  delegation-at- 
large  to  the  national  convention  at  St.  Louis.  In  both 
of  these  bodies  Mr.  Means  voted  for  Thomas  B.  Reed 
for  the  presidency,  his  relations  with  the  Maine  states- 
man having  been  close  and  intimate  for  many  years. 

299 


STATE  BUILDERS 

In  1900,  at  the  Republican  National  Convention  in 
Philadelphia,  Mr.  Means  was  elected  to  represent  New 
Hampshire  upon  the  Republican  National  Committee,  a 
position  which  his  broad  views  of  public  questions,  his 
wide  relations  with  men  of  affairs  and  substance,  his 
ardent  political  temperament,  fitted  him  especially  to 
adorn. 

His  death  at  the  untimely  age  of  forty-seven  years  re- 
moved one  of  New  Hampshire's  best-loved  sons.  Mr. 
Means  was  a  man  who  attracted  wide  friendships,  bind- 
ing his  associates  to  him  with  the  enduring  bonds  of  firm 
affection.  His  domestic  life  was  especially  happy  and 
beautiful.  Marrying  Oct.  18,  1883,  Miss  Elizabeth  A. 
French,  of  Manchester,  his  home  environment  was  both 
winning  and  affectionate.  His  natural  thoughtfulness, 
courtesy  and  devotion  to  the  interests  of  others  found  full 
fruition  at  home  where  in  addition  to  those  amenities  of 
daily  life  in  the  bosom  of  his  family  he  entertained  with 
charming  and  liberal  hospitality.  These  same  character- 
istics, though  naturally  less  fully  expressed,  marked  Mr. 
Means' s  intercourse  with  all  the  world.  Rising  by  his 
own  efforts  to  eminence  of  position  and  fortune,  he  ever 
held  in  mind  the  humblest  of  his  employees,  and  few  men 
have  ever  conducted  business  on  so  large  a  scale  as  he  and 
so  endeared  themselves  to  their  subordinates.  His  death 
deprived  the  city  of  Manchester  of  a  devoted  son  and  a 
patriotic  citizen,  his  party  of  a  generous  and  enthusiastic 
supporter,  and  his  own  family  of  a  large-hearted,  tender 
and  loving  husband  and  father. 


300 


HARRY  GENE  SARGENT 


HARRY  GENE  SARGENT. 

Harry  Gene  Sargent  was  born  in  Pittsfield  Sept.  30, 
1859,  but  when  a  boy  moved  with  his  parents  to'  Hook- 
sett  and  a  little  later  to  Concord,  where  he  received  his 
public  school  education,  graduating  from  the  Concord 
High  school  in  1878.  He  registered  as  a  student  of  law 
in  the  office  of  W.  T.  and  H.  F.  Norris,  and  later  attended 
the  sessions  of  the  Boston  University  law  school.  He 
completed  his  legal  education  under  the  direction  of  the 
late  Hon.  John  Y.  M.ugridge,  and  was  admitted  to  the  bar 
in  Aug.  1 88 1,  at  once  entering  upon  the  practice  of  his 
profession  in  Concord,  where  he  has  since  been  actively 
and  successfully  engaged.  For  twelve  years  he  practised 
alone  and  laid  the  foundation  for  those  professional  suc- 
cesses which  have  since  attended  him  and  the  firms  with 
which  he  has  been  identified.  In  1893,  he  formed  a  part- 
nership with  Henry  F.  Hollis,  and  three  years  later  Ed- 
ward C.  Niles  became  a  member  of  the  firm.  In  1898, 
Mr.  Hollis  withdrew,  and  in  1900,  Arthur  P.  Morrill, 
Esq.,  was  admitted,  and  the  firm  name  now  stands  Sar- 
gent, Niles  &  Morrill,  the  firm  enjoying  one  of  the  largest 
and  most  varied  practices  in  New  Hampshire. 

Mr.  Sargent's  professional  career  has  been  marked  by 
steady  advance  and  by  no  little  brilliancy  as  an  advocate, 
while  as  a  counsellor  he  is  most  reliable.  From  1885  to 
1887,  he  was  solicitor  of  Merrimack  county,  and  from 
1887  to  1901,  was  solicitor  for  the  city  of  Concord,  in 
each  of  these  positions  discharging  his  duties  to  the  en- 

301 


STATE  BUILDERS 

tire  satisfaction  of  his  constituents  and  winning  for  him- 
self a  fine  reputation  for  professional  ability  and  skill.   His 
practice  is  by  no  means  confined  to  the  courts  of  the  state, 
where  he  ranks  among  the  ablest  attorneys,  but  extends 
to  the  courts  of  other  states  and  the  Federal  courts  of  all 
classes  of  jurisdiction  and  to  practice  before  legislative 
committees  and  other  tribunals.     In  1891,  he  was  asso- 
ciated with  \Yayne  McVeigh,  late  attorney-general  of  the 
United  States,  as  counsel  for  Austin  Corbin  in  an  im- 
portant railroad  controversy  before  the  legislature  of  New 
Hampshire,  and  his  arguments  both  before  committees 
of  the  legislature  and  later  before  the  full  bench  of  the 
supreme  court,  to  whom  the  legislature  had  referred  the 
matter,  were  powerful.     Mr.  Sargent  was  also  counsel 
for  Coe  and  Pingree  in  the  important  litigation  involving 
the  title  to  the  summit  of  Mount  Washington,  appearing 
both  before  the  legislature  and  before  the  state  and  United 
States  courts  in  this  matter,  and  winning  a  most  remark- 
able success. 

In  the  fall  of  1900,  Mr.  Sargent  much  against  his  de- 
sire, accepted  his  party's  nomination  for  mayor  of  Con- 
cord. The  city  then  being  in  the  hands  of  his  political 
opponents  the  campaign  was  an  arduous  and  spirited  one 
and  the  odds  against  him  were  tremendous,  but  at  the 
head  of  a  successful  poll  Mr.  Sargent  emerged  triumphant 
from  the  contest  and  assumed  the  duties  of  his  office  in 
January,  1901.  As  chief  magistrate  of  his  city  he  has 
been  exceptionally  powerful  and  progressive.  Under  his 
vigorous  guidance  the  city  has  undertaken  its  greatest 
public  work  since  the  date  of  the  municipal  water-works, 
in  the  erection  of  a  new  city  hall.  This  enterprise  al- 
though meeting  a  want  long  felt  and  widely  recognized, 
was  vigorously  opposed  by  many  of  the  most  substantial 
and  influential  men  of  the  city,  and  had  a  weaker  hand 
than  Mr.  Sargent's  been  guiding  the  project  it  probably 
would  have  failed.  But  with  quiet  persistence  he  met  the 

302 


STATE  BUILDERS 

arguments  of  the  opponents  of  the  improvement,  both 
before  the  city  government  and  before  the  courts  where 
the  question  was  carried  upon  legal  grounds,  and  won 
substantial  recognition  of  the  justice  and  legality  of  his 
position. 

Outside  his  profession  and  his  official  circles,  Mr.  Sar- 
gent has  been  an  active,  energetic,  public-spirited  citizen. 
He  is  a  trustee  of  the  Margaret  Pillsbury  general  hospi- 
tal, formerly  president  of  the  Snowshoe  club,  president 
of  the  Wonolancet  club,  a  trustee  of  the  Protestant  Epis- 
copal church  of  New  Hampshire,  and  a  member  of  the 
leading  social  organizations  of  the  city. 

In  1901,  upon  the  occasion  of  the  Webster  Centennial, 
Dartmouth  college  properly  recognized  Mr.  Sargent's 
worth  and  ability  by  conferring  upon  him  the  degree  of 
Master  of  Arts. 

In  January,  1903,  Mr.  Sargent  was  appointed  by  the 
Governor  to  the  position  of  judge-advocate-general  upon 
his  staff,  with  the  rank  of  brigadier-general. 


303 


EUGENE  F.  McQUESTEN,  M.  D. 

Eugene  F.  McQuesten,  M.  D.  of  Nashua,  is  a  native 
of  Litchfield,  where  he  was  born  Oct.  nth.  1843,  a  de- 
scendant of  a  sturdy  pioneer  who  emigrated  from  the 
north  of  Ireland,  and  settled  in  that  town  in  1775.  Dr. 
McQuesten  attended  school  in  Litchfield  and  in  the  city 
of  Nashua,  and  for  three  years  was  a  student  in  the 
Academy  at  Pembroke.  In  1863  he  entered  the  sopho- 
more class  at  Dartmouth  College,  but  did  not  graduate 
there,  for  in  the  following  year  he  began  the  study  of  medi- 
cine at  Jefferson  Medical  College,  Philadelphia,  where 
in  two  years  he  accomplished  the  course  prescribed  for 
three  years  of  study,  and  received  his  degree  in  1866. 
For  one  year  he  practised  in  Lynn,  Mass,  and  then  came 
to  Nashua  where  he  became  associated  with  Dr.  Josiah 
G.  Graves.  In  1869  he  entered  into  practice  for  himself 
and  has  drawn  around  him  an  increasingly  numerous  cir- 
cle of  patients.  Always  alert  to  the  latest  developments 
of  his  profession  Dr.  McQuesten  has  taken  several  post 
graduate  courses  of  study  and  is  recognized  as  a  special- 
ist in  surgical  practice.  He  is  an  active  member  of  the 
New  Hampshire  Medical  society  and  has  been  its  presi- 
dent; is  a  member  of  the  American  Association  of  rail- 
way surgeons,  and  of  the  Nashua  Medical  society.  Of 
this  last  named  organization  he  was  president  for  two 
years.  He  was  one  of  the  founders  of  the  emergency 
hospital  in  Nashua,  and  to  his  lively  interest  in  the  insti- 
tution no  little  of  its  success  is  due.  Dr.  McOuesten  is 

3°4 


EUGENE  F.  McQUESTEN,  M.D. 


STATE  BUILDERS 

also  widely  interested  in  the  business  interests  of  his 
home  city,  and  is  a  director  in  the  Indian  Head  National 
bank,  and  in  the  Nashua  Trust  Co.  He  is  a  member  of 
the  Unitarian  church,  a  Mason  and  Knights  Templar. 
Dr.  McQuesten  enjoys  the  confidence  of  the  public  to  a 
most  remarkable  degree,  having  fairly  won  it  by  con- 
stant, faithful  attention  to  his  professional  labors,  and 
he  is  recognized  by  his  brethren  in  medicine  as  a  physi- 
cian and  surgeon  of  no  mean  skill  and  learning.  Though 
not  a  politician  he  has  been  a  candidate  for  his  party  for 
mayor,  and  as  a  citizen  of  Nashua  he  has  always  lent  his 
influence  to  the  advancement  of  the  interests  and  pros- 
perity of  the  community. 


305 


JAMES  E.  KLOCK. 

Principal  James  E.  Klock  of  the  New  Hampshire  State 
Normal  school  at  Plymouth  was  born  in  Java,  N.  Y., 
March  27,  1855.  He  graduated  at  the  State  Normal 
School  of  Kansas  with  the  class  of  1875  and  taught  for 
four  years  in  Lyon  county,  that  state.  In  1880  he  was 
elected  principal  of  the  High  school  at  Emporia  and  two 
years  later  was  made  superintendent  of  public  instruction 
for  Lyon  county.  In  1884,  at  the  earnest  request  of  the 
board  of  education,  he  returned  to  Emporia  as  superin- 
tendent of  schools,  a  position  which  he  held  for  six  years. 
For  a  similar  length  of  time  he  was  at  the  head  of  the 
schools  of  Leavenworth,  Kansas,  resigning  this  superin- 
tendency  for  one  at  Helena,  Montana.  From  Helena  he 
came  in  1900  to  New  Hampshire  where  he  is  doing  a 
grand  work  and  one  fully  equal  to  the  high  expectations 
raised  by  the  reports  of  his  success  in  the  West. 

Writing  at  the  time  of  Mr.  Klock's  election, 
A.  E.  Winship,  Ph.  D.,  editor  of  the  Journal  of 
Education,  Boston,  said :  "The  New  Hampshire  Nor- 
mal school  trustees  have  made  a  remarkably  wise  choice 
of  principal.  J.  E.  Klock  of  Helena  is  admirably  qualified 
for  the  place;  indeed,  it  would  not  be  easy  to  find  any  one 
better  qualified.  I  prophesy  that  he  will  make  the  Ply- 
mouth school  as  strong  scholastically  and  professionally 
as  any  normal  school  in  America;  that  New  Hampshire 
will  rally  around  him  with  enthusiasm ;  and  that  his  grad- 
uates will  be  in  demand  far  and  near.  Mr.  Klock  made 

306 


JAMES  E.  KLOCK,  PH.U. 


STATE  BUILDERS 

the  schools  of  Emporia  and  Leavenworth,  Kansas,  equal 
to  any  in  the  country,  and  he  has  done  the  same  for  those 
of  Helena.  If  he  accomplishes  as  much  for  New  Hamp- 
shire, and  he  should  do  more,  he  will  take  front  rank 
among  New  England  educational  leaders." 

As  bearing  upon  the  fulfilment  of  this  prophecy  the 
report  of  the  trustees  of  the  Normal  School  for  1902  may 
be  quoted.  They  say :  "It  is  a  matter  of  sincere  congrat- 
ulation that  New  Hampshire's  one  Normal  school  is  led 
by  a  man  of  rare  excellence  as  an  instructor,  administrator 
and  organizer.  Mr.  Klock's  native  gifts,  a  kindliness  of 
heart,  a  graciousness  of  speech  and  manner,  an  ability  to 
read  human  nature  and  to'  rightly  interpret  human  mo- 
tives, combined  with  the  power  of  a  cultured  mind  and 
long  experience  as  an  instructor  and  superintendent,  make 
him  a  strong  man  in  his  profession  and  a  very  serviceable 
man  for  the  state. 

"During  the  two  years  that  Mr.  Klock  has  been  at  the 
head  of  our  school  his  administration  has  been  a  most 
pronounced  success,  and  it  is  conceded  by  all  who  have 
taken  the  pains  to  inform  themselves,  that  the  school  is 
on  a  better  footing,  and  promises  better  for  the  future, 
than  at  any  time  since  its  organization." 


307 


ORLANDO  BENAJAH  DOUGLAS,  M.  D. 

A  newcomer  in  New  Hampshire,  but  one  who  by 
his  public  spirit  and  eagerness  to  enter  into  all  that 
contributes  to  the  good  of  the  community  is  fairly 
entitled  to  a  place  in  any  compilation  of  its  best-known 
men,  is  Orlando  Benajah  Douglas,  M.  D.,  who  was  born 
in  Cornwall,  Vt,  Sept.  12,  1836,  of  good  Scotch  stock, 
and  the  eighth  generation  born  in  New  England.  A 
country  boy,  he  received  the  sturdy  training  given  to 
farmers'  sons,  his  early  educational  advantages  being 
confined  to  those  offered  by  the  district  school  and 
by  the  seminary  at  Brandon,  Vt.  Upon  these  founda- 
tions, by  diligent  study  and  constant  reading,  he  has 
built  the  superstructure  of  a  fine  mental  training.  At 
the  age  of  18,  he  began  to  teach  school,  but  at  his 
mother's  desire,  and  in  pursuance  of  his  own  ambition, 
at  the  age  of  22,  he  took  up  the  study  of  medicine, 
going  to  Brunswick,  Mo.,  where  he  studied  for  two  years 
and  worked  in  an  uncle's  drug  store.  Soon  the  Civil  War 
came  on,  and  Dr.  Douglas  at  great  personal  sacrifice, 
and  living  as  he  did  in  the  midst  of  a  community 
of  strong  Confederate  sympathies,  went  to  the  nearest 
Union  rendezvous  with  a  half  a  dozen  others  of  similar 
patriotic  tendencies  and  enlisted  in  the  i8th  Missouri 
Volunteers  which  was  organized  by  the  order  of  Gen. 
Fremont.  He  served  in  that  state  for  six  months,  and 
was  later  sent  South  to  join  the  army  of  the  Tennessee, 
participating  in  the  great  campaigns  of  that  army  and 
marching  with  Sherman  to  the  sea. 

308 


ORLANDO  B.  DOUGLAS,  M.D. 


STATE  BUILDERS 

Young  Douglas  refused  an  appointment  as  captain, 
but  accepted  a  lieutenant's  commission  and  was  pro- 
moted to  be  adjutant  of  his  regiment.  Later,  by  order 
of  General  Grant,  he  was  commissioned  acting  assistant 
adjutant  general  on  the  brigade  staff.  He  was  twice 
wounded,  in  1861  early  in  the  war  while  scouting  in 
Missouri,  and  a  year  later  at  Shiloh,  where  he  was 
seriously  wounded  in  the  hip.  He  was  on  duty  at 
Cincinnati,  at  Corinth,  Mississippi,  and  in  the  provost 
marshal's  corps  at  Concord,  Mass.,  and  was  mustered 
out  near  the  close  of  the  war.  For  some  years  thereafter 
he  was  engaged  in  business,  and  later  entered  the 
medical  department  of  the  University  of  Vermont, 
although  he  received  his  diploma  from  the  University 
Medical  College  of  New  York  in  1877.  Entering  upon 
the  practice  of  his  profession  in  New  York  City,  he  soon 
attained  an  excellent  degree  of  success  and  reputation 
and  held  many  positions  of  importance  and  responsi- 
bility in  his  profession. 

Turning  his  attention  to  the  special  subject  of  the 
ear,  nose  and  throat,  Dr.  Douglas  became  an  authority  in 
the  pathology  and  treatment  of  those  organs  and  served 
upon  the  surgical  staff  of  the  Manhattan  Eye  and  Ear 
Hospital  for  twenty-five  years,  conducting  the  throat 
clinics  and  being  visited  by  more  than  two  hundred  thou- 
sand patients.  In  1888,  he  was  elected  professor  of  dis- 
eases of  the  nose  and  throat  in  the  New  York  Post-Grad- 
uate  Medical  School  and  Hospital.  He  was  prominent  in 
many  of  the  medical  associations,  president  of  the  Medical 
Society  of  New  York  city,  treasurer  of  the  New  York 
Academy  of  Medicine  for  nine  years,  and  has  written 
widely  upon  the  special  subjects  in  which  he  is  an  au- 
thority. 

For  ten  years  he  had  a  summer  residence  in  Suncook, 
but  in  September,  1901,  he  purchased  a  residence  and  es- 

3°9 


STATE  BUILDERS 

tablished  an  office  permanently  in  Concord.  Having  thus 
enrolled  himself  as  a  resident  of  the  Granite  State  Dr. 
Douglas  is  sure  to  perform  to  the  full  his  part  as  a  good 
citizen. 


310 


JOHN   McLANE 


JOHN  McLANE. 

For  nearly  fifty  years  a  resident  of  New  Hampshire 
and  for  more  than  half  that  time  at  the  head  of  a  pros- 
perous manufacturing  establishment  in  Milford,  John 
McLane  has  long  held  a  deserved  position  among  the 
foremost  men  of  the  state.  He  was  born  in  Lennoxtown, 
Scotland,  Feb.  27th,  1852,  the  son  of  Alexander  and  Mary 
(Hay)  McLane.  His  parents  emigrated  to  America  in 
1854  and  settled  in  Manchester,  where  John  McLane  re- 
ceived his  education  in  the  public  schools.  Fitted  with  a 
special  aptitude  for  mechanical  pursuits  he  became  a  skilled 
wood  worker  and  for  many  years  was  employed  as  a 
journeyman  in  the  furniture  trade.  But  his  was  not  the 
stuff  to  remain  in  a  subordinate  position,  and  in  1876  he 
established  a  business  for  himself  for  the  manufacture  of 
postofHce  equipments,  and  under  his  guidance  the  concern 
has  grown  to  immense  proportions,  with  customers  all 
over  the  country.  In  Milford  he  has  taken  a  lively  in- 
terest in  the  development  of  the  town,  aside  from  the  en- 
terprise conducted  in  his  own  name,  and  he  has  con- 
tributed liberally  o>f  time,  talent  and  money  to  advance 
the  community's  welfare.  He  is  president  of  the  Souhe- 
gan  National  Bank,  and  a  director  in  the  local 
Building  and  Loan  association.  In  1885  he 
was  sent  to  represent  his  town  in  the  legis- 
lature, and  although  a  new  member,  and  not  a 
lawyer,  he  was  placed  upon  that  most  important  legal 
committee,  the  judiciary,  and  was  also  a  member  of 

311 


STATE  BUILDERS 

the  committee  on  towns.  In  1887  Mr.  McLane  again  rep- 
resented Milford  and  was  appointed  chairman  of  the 
committee  on  insurance,  and  a  member  of  the  committee 
on  the  revision  of  the  statutes.  In  1891  he  entered  the 
state  senate  and  was  chosen  president  of  that  body,  serv- 
ing with  rare  and  successful  tact.  In  1893  he  was  again 
a  member  of  the  senate  and  was  again  chosen  to  the  presi- 
dency, an  honor  which  came  to  him  by  unanimous  vote 
of  his  party  associates,  and  over  riding  the  one-term  prece- 
dent which  had  been  established  for  upwards  of  half  a 
century.  Mr.  McLane  married  Mar.  loth,  1880  Ellen  L. 
Tuck,  daughter  of  Eben  Tuck  of  Milford,  and  they  have 
four  children,  three  sons  and  a  daughter.  Mr.  McLane 
attends  the  Congregational  church,  is  a  Mason  and 
an  Odd  Fellow.  His  Masonic  career  has  been  re- 
markably brilliant,  having  served  in  all  the  positions  in 
the  fraternity,  including  that  of  Grand  Master  of  the 
Grand  Lodge  of  the  state.  Mr.  McLane,  although  deep- 
ly engrossed  in  the  work  .entailed  by  the  management  of 
an  extensive  business,  has  nevertheless  found  time  for 
much  reading  and  for  a  close  and  accurate  study  of  public 
affairs.  He  is  an  ardent  Republican  and  for  many  years 
has  been  a  member  of  the  state  committee  of  his  party, 
and  the  representative  of  his  county  (Hillsborough)  in 
the  executive  committee  of  that  body.  Mr.  McLane  is 
a  public  speaker  of  more  than  ordinary  power,  endowed 
with  exceptional  qualities  of  judgment  and  with  that  sa- 
gacity which  is  the  birthright  of  his  race,  supplementing 
the  faithful  results  of  public  school  study  with  wide  read- 
ing and  careful  thought,  and  possessing  a  cordial  manner 
and  a  dignified  presence,  he  has  appeared  frequently  on 
public  occasions  with  marked  success.  Mr.  McLane  is  a 
man  of  sterling  integrity,  both  of  mind  and  action. 


312 


CHANNING  FOLSOM 


B^-Wwl, 


CHANNING  FOLSOM. 

Channing  Folsom,  state  superintendent  of  public  in- 
struction, was  born  at  Newmarket,  June  I,  1848.  His 
father,  a  country  doctor,  well  realizing  the  benefits  of  a 
liberal  education,  supplemented  the  training  afforded  in 
the  town  schools  by  a  course  at  Phillips-Exeter  Academy, 
and  the  young  man  entered  Dartmouth  College  in  the 
class  of  1870.  Weak  eyes  and  insufficient  financial  re- 
sources compelled  his  withdrawal  from  college  at  the  end 
of  two  years,  although  his  Alma  Mater  in  1885,  conferred 
upon  him  the  honorary  degree  of  A.  M.  and  in  1902  the 
degree  of  A.  B.  in  course. 

While  in  college  Mr.  Folsom,  following  the  custom  of 
so  many  Dartmouth  students,  taught  school  during  the 
vacation,  and  after  leaving  college  he  entered  upon  teach- 
ing as  his  life  work,  beginning  at  Sandwich,  Mass. 
From  there  he  went  to  Arnesbury,  Mass.,  where  he  spent 
two  years,  and  later  had  four  years'  experience  in  Ports- 
mouth, New  Hampshire.  In  1874,  he  went  to  Dover  as 
principal  of  the  Belknap  grammar  school,  where  he  re- 
mained three  years,  when  he  was  elected  a  master  in  the 
Eliot  School,  Boston,  serving  until  April,  1882.  In  that 
month  he  was  chosen  superintendent  of  schools  at  Dover, 
and  returned  to  New  Hampshire,  where  he  has  since 
lived.  For  sixteen  years  he  was  superintendent  of  schools 
at  Dover,  and  in  1898,  upon  the  resignation  of  Fred  Gow- 
ing,  he  was  appointed  state  superintendent  of  public 
instruction,  receiving  successive  reappointments  as  his 
terms  of  office  have  expired. 

313 


STATE  BUILDERS 

Mr.  Folsom  married  Nov.  12,  1870,  Ruth  F.  Savage, 
of  Newmarket,  and  has  five  children. 

Mr.  Folsom  is  a  positive  educator,  both  as  a  teacher  in 
the  schools  and  as  a  state  superintendent  he  has  shown 
himself  a  friend  of  true  educational  progress  and  the  foe 
of  ail  the  non-essential  and  cumbersome  methods  which 
have  rendered  so  many  school  programs  inefficient. 
Coming  to  his  present  position  at  a  time  when  the  old 
methods  of  instruction  had  not  yet  been  fully  displaced 
by  the  new  and  when  many  of  the  new  ideas  had  yet  to 
prove  their  usefulness  through  practical  experience,  Mr. 
Folsom  has  wisely  and  discriminatingly  forwarded  the 
educational  interests  of  the  state.  During  his  term  of 
office  he  has  seen  the  entire  policy  of  the  state  change  so 
far  as  it  has  related  to  the  state's  responsibility  for  ad- 
vanced education,  and  the  so-called  "Grange"  school  law, 
by  means  of  which  twenty-five  thousand  dollars  is  annu- 
ally distributed  to  the  schools  of  the  state,  was  drafted  by 
him  and  carried  through  the  legislature  largely  through 
his  efforts.  His  administration  of  the  trust  imposed  upon 
him  in  the  distribution  of  this  fund  has  been  eminently 
conservative  and  successful,  and  he  has  had  the  privilege 
of  seeing  his  ideas  stamped  each  year  with  a  deeper  seal 
of  public  approval.  He  has  also  stimulated  many  a  com- 
munity to  a  pride  and  deeper  interest  in  the  local  schools, 
and  by  causing  to  be  enacted  the  law  providing  for  a 
group  system  of  school  superintendents  he  has  seen  many 
of  the  existing  schools  brought  to  a  still  higher  state  of 
efficiency. 

Through  his  long  residence  in  the  state  and  his  intimate 
acquaintance  with  New  Hampshire  temperaments  and 
traditions,  Mr.  Folsom  has  been  enabled  to<  advance  the 
cause  of  education  by  wise  methods,  and  his  assured 
continuance  in  his  present  post  of  usefulness  is  the 
guarantee  that  the  immediate  future  of  New  Hampshire 
schools  is  bright  with  promise. 

3*4 


ROGER  G.  SULLIVAN 


ROGER  G.  SULLIVAN. 

A  keen  and  deservedly  successful  business  man  is  Roger 
G.  Sullivan,  of  Manchester,  who  was  born  in  1854  in 
Bradford,  but  the  greater  part  of  whose  life  has  been 
spent  in  the  city  where  he  now  lives.  His  educational 
advantages  were  limited  and  were  confined  to'  the  com- 
mon schools  of  Manchester,  as  at  the  age  of  fourteen  he 
began  earning  his  own  living  and  was  at  that  time  inden- 
tured to  learn  the  carriage-painting  business.  At  the 
age  of  nineteen,  however,  he  embarked  in  business  for 
himself  as  a  cigar  manufacturer,  at  first  employing  only 
two  men.  In  1883  he  began  the  manufacture  of  what  is 
now  probably  the  best-known  cigar  in  northern  New 
England,  Seven-twenty-four,  and  his  business  has  grown 
since  then  by  leaps  and  bounds,  until  now  he  employs 
two  hundred  hands  and  his  factories  have  a  capacity  of 
nearly  seven  million  cigars  a  year.  The  magnitude  of 
his  business  may  be  judged  somewhat  from  the  fact  that 
Mr.  Sullivan's  import  duty  payments  and  internal  reve- 
nue stamp  purchases  amount  to  about  $90,000  a  year. 
His  goods  are  sold  throughout  the  country,  and  five  trav- 
elling men  are  constantly  employed  distributing  the  prod- 
ucts of  his  factories.  The  pay-roll  of  his  establishment 
is  about  $125,000  a  year. 

In  addition,  Mr.  Sullivan  is  largely  engaged  in  other 
lines  of  business  in  the  city  of  Manchester  and  elsewhere. 
He  is  a  director  of  the  Amoskeag  National  bank,  a  direc- 
tor in  the  Manchester  Traction  Company,  the  New  Hamp- 


STATE  BUILDERS 

shire  Fire  Insurance  Company  and  the  Uinion  Publishing 
company.  At  York  Beach,  where  Mr.  Sullivan  has 
erected  a  beautiful  summer  home,  he  is  a  large  owner  of 
real  estate,  and  many  of  the  improvements  recently  made 
at  that  well-known  summer  resort  own  their  inception  to 
Mr.  Sullivan's  enterprise  and  sagacity. 

His  home  on  Walnut  street  is  one  of  the  most  at- 
tractive in  Manchester.  He  married  Susan  C.  Fernald, 
of  Manchester,  and  has  three  children,  Minna  E.,  Susan 
A.  and  Frances  E.  The  eldest  daughter  was  educated  at 
Montreal  and  at  Northampton,  Mass.,  and  the  others 
obtained  their  education  at  the  Visitation  Convent, 
Georgetown,  District  of  Columbia,  the  eldest  daughter 
travelling  extensively  in  Europe  after  completing  the 
course  in  the  American  schools. 

Mr.  Sullivan  in  politics  is  a  Democrat,  and  is  promi- 
nent in  the  Knights  of  Columbus. 


316 


HERMON  K.  SHERBURNE,   D.O. 


HERMON  K.  SHERBURNE. 

One  of  the  best  known  osteopathic  physicians  in  New 
Hampshire  is  Hermon  K.  Sherburne  of  Littleton.  But 
aside  from  his  professional  attainment  he  is  thoroughly 
representative  of  the  best  citizenship  in  his  town  and 
stale.  He  was  born  in  Wilmington,  Vermont,  July  12, 
1855.  He  was  educated  in  the  schools  of  his  native  town 
and  at  Montpelier  ( Vt.)  seminary.  In  1883  he  married 
Miss  Ada  L.  Boyce,  and  one  child,  Theodore  Vail  Sher- 
burne, was  born  to  them.  He  died  at  the  age  of  five  years 
and  two  months.  She  died,  April  27,  1899  having  been 
instantly  killed  in  a  cyclone  that  passed  over  the  city  of 
Kirksviile,  Missouri. 

The  science  of  osteopathy  early  attracted  the  attention 
of  Mr.  Sherburne  and  when  once  he  had  decided  to  en- 
gage in  its  practice  he  went  to  Kirksville,  Missouri,  that 
he  might  learn  the  theory  and  practice  of  the  science  at 
the  fountain  head  for  it  was  there  that  the  school  was 
founded  by  Andrew  Taylor  Still.  From  this  school  he 
graduated  in  1899  an(i  m  the  same  year  he  began  active 
practice. 

October  first,  1901,  Mr.  Sherburne  married  for  his 
second  wife,  Miss  Mary  A.  Bnrbank,  who  like  himself  is 
a  diplomat  in  osteopathy.  Mr.  Sherburne  is  a  member  of 
the  American  Osteopathic  Association  and  president  of 
the  New  Hampshire  Osteopathic  Association.  In  poli- 
tics he  is  a  Republican  while  his  membership  in  fraternal 


STATE  BUILDERS 

orders  is  limited  to  Odd  Fellowship.     The  church  home 
of  the  family  is  the  Methodist  Episcopal. 

The  article  on  Osteopathy  following  this  sketch  was 
written  by  Mr.  Sherburne  expressly  for  State  Builders. 


OSTEOPATHY. 
BY  HERMON  K.   SHERBURNE. 

With  the  remarkable  developments  that  have  been 
made  along  all  lines  of  scientific  research  in  the  closing 
years  of  the  last  century,  perhaps  there  is  none  more  im- 
portant, or  which  will  fall  with  a  greater  blessing  on  the 
human  race  than  the  development  and  promulgation  of 
that  department  of  the  science  of  medicine  known  as 
Osteopathy. 

Osteopathy  is  a  complete  science  of  healing  diseased 
conditions  of  the  body  without  drugs  and  without  the 
knife.  It  originated  about  1874  in  the  brain  of  Dr.  An- 
drew T.  Still  of  Baldwin,  Kansas,  a  regular  practising 
physician  and  army  surgeon. 

Every  invention  is  the  result  of  a  genius  seeking  to 
improve  on  old  methods,  so  with  Dr.  Still  convinced  of 
the  inefficacy  of  drug  treating  in  acute  and  its  absolute 
uselessness  in  chronic  diseases  he  set  about  exploring  for 
himself  the  unknown.  Anatomy  and  Physiology  seem  to 
have  been  his  favorite  subjects  and  as  has  been  said  of 
him  with  "Indian  cadavers  for  subjects  and  the  broad 
prairies  for  a  workshop  he  constantly  studied  Nature's  se- 
crets in  her  greatest  creation." 

His  idea  as  expressed  in  his  autobiography  was  that 
God  would  not  give  us  these  bodies  subject  to  attacks  of 
disease  from  outside  without  putting  into  the  bodies 
themselves  the  means  and  forces  to  resist  the  attacks. 


STATE  BUILDERS 

After  nearly  twenty  years  of  untiring  energy  and  cease- 
less toil,  in  1892  feeling  he  had  perfected  his  system  suffi- 
ciently to  give  it  to  the  world  a.  charter  was  obtained 
from  the  state  of  Missouri  to  teach  this  new  discovery 
and  the  first  school  was  opened  in  Kirksville  that  state 
with  an  attendance  of  seven  students. 

The  system  soon  became  known  and  people  who  were 
sick  and  who  had  grown  weary  of  taking  medicine  came 
to  Kirksville  to  try  the  new  science  of  healing  without 
drugs.  They  were  healed  and  returned  home  and  their 
friends  and  neighbors  came. 

The  news  spread  rapidly,  not  by  advertising,  but,  by 
cures  made,  and  soon  there  were  students  and  patients 
from  all  over  the  land  going  to  Kirksville  seeking  to  be 
cured  or  to  learn  the  new  science.  The  school  continued 
to  grow  until  today  it  has  between  six  and  seven  hundred 
students.  Other  schools  were  organized  so  that  there  are 
now  fourteen  Osteopathic  colleges  with  seventeen  hun- 
dred students  and  about  twenty-five  hundred  Osteopathic 
physicians  practising. 

Recognition  by  special  enactment  of  legislatures  is  a 
compliment  never  before  paid  to  a  new  scientific  discov- 
ery, since  1896  Osteopathy  has  received  this  high  compli- 
ment from  nineteen  states. 

Osteopathy  bases  its  claims  to  rank  as  a  science  of  heal- 
ing upon  the  fact  that  there  exists  a  definite  and  fixed  re- 
lation between  an  organ  and  the  central  nervous  system. 
It  may  be  said  to  be  the  science  of  treating  disease  through 
a  technical  manipulation  by  which  the  practitioner  intelli- 
gently directs  the  inherent  recuperative  resources  of  the 
body  to  the  restoration  of  health.  It  rests  upon  the  the- 
ory that  every  diseased  condition  not  due  to  a  specific 
poison  is  traceable  to  some  mechanical  disorder,  which,  if 
corrected,  will  allow  Nature  to  resume  perfect  work. 

By  the  term  mechanical  obstruction  is  meant  any  direct 
interference  to  the  nutritive  or  functional  fluids  or  forces 


STATE  BUILDERS 

of  the  organ,  as  pressure  upon  a  vessel  or  nerve  by  an 
abnormal  condition  of  some  denser  tissue  of  the  body. 
This  will  cut  off  the  nerve  force  and  affect  the  blood 
supply.  Either  of  these  may  result  in  producing  an 
abnormal  function  of  some  organ  or  organs  and  thus  lead 
to  a  diseased  condition. 

The  osteopath  looks  upon  the  body  as  a  machine  and 
himself  as  a  trained  human  machinist  adjusting  it  to  its 
natural  condition  that  it  may  be  properly  driven  from 
the  central  nervous  system.  His  work  is  principally  done 
along  the  spinal  column,  from  which  the  nerves  emanate, 
going  from  there  to  all  the  different  parts  of  the  body. 

Osteopathy  makes  no  demands  on  the  vitality  of  the 
patient  but  rather  increases  it  at  every  treatment. 

The  claims  of  modesty  are  never  lost  sight  of.  The 
most  delicate  person  can  undergo  this  treatment  without 
the  least  fear  of  any  unpleasant  experience.  They  are  al- 
ways adapted  to  the  condition  of  the  patient,  never  severe, 
and  absolutely  in  no  case  harmful  if  given  by  a  competent 
osteopathist. 

The  application  of  the  treatment  is  very  general,  it 
having"  reached  almost  every  known  form  o<f  disease.  Its 
success  as  a  curative  agent  is  remarkably  gratifying, 
especially  when  we  remember  its  triumphs  have  been  made 
out  of  the  failures  of  other  systems.  It  ranks  among  its 
patrons  some  of  the  most  noted  and  intellectual  people 
of  our  time,  as  well  as  those  in  the  more  modest  walks 
of  life  but  all  alike  testifying  to  the  great  blessing  it  has 
been  to  themselves  or  family  in  restoring  them  to  health 
after  all  other  medical  skill  had  failed.  No  one  today 
should  consider  their  case  incurable  until  they  have  con- 
sulted an  Osteopath  and  been  properly  treated  by  him, 
when  it  is  safe  to  say  they  will  make  another  of  that  now 
vast  number  who*  will  rise  up  and  call  the  name  of  Dr.  A. 
T.  Still,  the  founder  of  this  great  science,  blessed. 


320 


ALONZO  ELLIOTT 


ALONZO  ELLIOTT. 

Alonzo  Elliott,  an  enterprising  banker,  broker  and  busi- 
ness man  of  Manchester,  was  born  in  Augusta,  Maine, 
July  25,  1849,  and  when  a  lad  came  to  Tilton,  N.  H., 
with  his  parents.  Acquiring  his  education  in  the  public 
schools  and  in  Tilton  seminary,  young  Elliott  began 
life  as  clerk  in  a  store,  but  later,  having  obtained  a 
knowledge  of  telegraphy,  he  entered  the  railroad  service 
as  operator  at  Tilton,  and  remained  in  railroad  life  until 
1893,  with  a  brief  interval,  when  he  was  employed  in 
commercial  pursuits  in  the  North  country.  From  1869 
to  1893  he  was  employed  at  the  Manchester  station  of 
the  Concord  and  the  Manchester  &  Lawrence  railroads, 
where  he  earned  the  reputation  of  being  the  most 
expert  ticket  seller  and  one  of  the  finest  telegraph  op- 
erators on  the  line.  Retiring  from  railroading  in  1893 
he  engaged  in  banking  and  insurance,  in  the  latter  capac- 
ity representing  some  twenty-five  leading  companies.  At 
the  time  of  his  retirement  from  that  branch  of  business 
in  1896  Mr.  Elliott  was  the  organizer  of  the  Granite  State 
Trust  co.,  later  known  as  the  Bank  of  New  England,  of 
which  he  was  treasurer  until  1896.  He  was 
Secretary  of  the  Citizens  building  and  loan  asso- 
ciation, vice-president,  director  and  clerk  of  the  Peoples 
Gas  Light  co.,  and  director  in  the  Garvin's  Falls  elec- 
tric power  co.  He  was  President  of  the  Manchester  Elec- 
tric light  co.,  and  raised  the  money  to  build  the  first  elec- 
tric light  plant  in  Manchester.  He  has  also  been  actively 

321 


STATE  BUILDERS 

identified  with  the  development  of  many  of  Manchester's 
diversified  industries,  chief  among  them  being  the  El- 
liott Manufacturing  co.,  producers  of  knit  goods,  employ- 
ing two  hundred  hands.  This  company  was  established 
through  Mr.  Elliott's  efforts  and  he  was  its  first  treasurer. 
Prominent  among  other  industrial  enterprises  in  Manches- 
ter with  which  Mr.  Elliott  has  been  closely  identified  are 
the  F.  M.  Hoyt,  and  the  Eureka  Shoe  companies,  the  Kim- 
ball  carriage  co.,  the  East  Side  shoe  company  and  the 
West  Side  shoe  company.  Mr.  Elliott  is  also  interested 
in  many  real  estate  ventures  in  the  Queen  City  and  with 
the  late  Governor  James  A.  Weston  and  late  John  B.  Var- 
ick  owned  the  New  Manchester  house,  a  finely  equipped 
and  valuable  piece  of  hotel  property.  His  home,  Brook- 
hurst,  is  one  of  the  most  attractive  in  that  city,  and  his 
family  comprises  a  wife,  the  daughter  of  George  W.  and 
Sarah  (Mead)  Weeks,  whose  father  was  for  many  years 
prominently  identified  with  the  shoe  trade  in  Manchester, 
and  four  children.  Mr.  Elliott  is  a  Mason  and  a  Knights 
Templar,  and  a  charter  member  of  the  Derryfield  club. 
In  religion  he  is  a  Unitarian,  and  in  politics  an  Independ- 
ent. In  1902  he  made  an  independent  canvass  for  gov- 
ernor. 


322 


CHARLES  H.  MURKLAND,  PH.D. 


DURHAM  COLLEGE. 

The  New  Hampshire  College  of  Agriculture  and  the 
Mechanic  Arts  was  incorporated  by  an  act  of  the  legis- 
lature passed  in  1866.  Section  2  of  this  act  reads  as 
follows :  "The  leading  object  of  the  College  is,  without 
excluding  other  scientific  and  classical  studies,  and 
including  military  tactics,  to  teach  such  branches  of 
learning  as  are  related  to  agriculture  and  the  mechanic 
arts,  in  order  to  promote  the  liberal  and  practical  edu- 
cation of  the  industrial  classes  in  the  several  pursuits 
and  professions  of  life."  As  a  consequence  of  this  act 
the  college  was  established  in  Hanover  under  the  admin- 
istration and  in  connection  with  Dartmouth  college.  It 
was  organized  under  a  board  of  trustees  appointed 
partly  by  the  governor  and  partly  by  the  Corporation  of 
Dartmouth  college. 

The  act  of  Congress  referred  to  in  this  section  is  the 
act  donating  certain  parcels  of  public  land  to  the  several 
states  and  territories  for  the  purpose  of  establishing  col- 
leges in  these  states.  By  that  act  a  quantity  of  land  equal 
to  thirty  thousand  acres  for  each  senator  and  representa- 
tive in  Congress,  was  donated  to  each  state. 

Section  4  of  this  act  of  congress,  approved  July  2, 
1862,  contains  the  following  statement  of  the  purpose 
and  character  of  the  colleges  to  be  established :  The  in- 
terest of  the  money  •  derived  from  the  sale  of  these  do- 
nated lands  was  to  be  applied,  "to  the  endowment,  sup- 
port, and  maintenance,  of  at  least  one  college,  where  the 

323 


STATE  BUILDERS 

leading  object  shall  be,  without  excluding  other  scien- 
tific and  classical  studies,  and  including  military  tactics, 
to  teach  such  branches  of  learning  as  are  related,  to  ag- 
riculture and  the  mechanic  arts,  in  such  a  manner  as  the 
legislature  of  the  states  shall  respectively  prescribe,  in 
order  to  promote  the  liberal  and  practical  education  of 
the  industrial  classes  in  the  several  pursuits  and  profes- 
sions of  life." 

As  indicated  above,  Section  2  of  the  act  of  the  New 
Hampshire  Legislature  in  1866  is  a  literal  quotation 
from  this  Section  4  of  the  act  of  Congress  of  1862. 

The  land  donated  to  the  state  was  sold,  and  the  money 
received  for  the  same,  eighty  thousand  dollars,  is  now  held 
by  the  treasurer  of  the  state  in  the  form  of  state 
bonds,  and  the  income,  four  thousand  eight  hundred  dol- 
lars, is  annually  paid  over  to  the  treasurer  of  the  college. 

In  1890  congress  provided  an  additional  appropria- 
tion, which  for  the  current  year  amounts  to  twenty-five 
thousand  dollars.  This  money  is  to  be  applied  "to  the 
instruction  in  agriculture,  the  mechanic  arts,  the  Eng- 
lish language,  and  the  various  branches  of  mathematical, 
physical,  natural  and  economic  science,  with  special 
reference  to  their  application  in  the  industries  of  life, 
and  to  the  facilities  for  such  instruction."  No  part  of 
this  appropriation  can  be  used  for  any  other  purpose,  it 
must  all  be  expended  for  teaching  and  for  facilities  for 
such  instruction,  such  as  books,  instruments  and  labora- 
tory requirements.  Everything  connected  with  the  erec- 
tion and  repair  of  the  buildings  and  the  maintenance  of 
the  same  must  be  provided  for  from  other  funds. 

In  1890  the  death  of  Benjamin  Thompson  of  Durham 
brought  before  the  state  the  opportunity  to  accept  the 
bequest  in  his  will.  His  estate,  amounting  thereto  ap- 
proximately four  hundred  thousand  dollars,  was  be- 
queathed to  the  state  of  New  Hampshire,  in  trust,  sub- 
ject to  certain  conditions  indicated  in  his  will.  These 

324 


STATE  BUILDERS 

conditions  may  be  summarized  as  follows :  ( I )  The 
property  to  be  held  by  the  state  of  New  Hampshire  for- 
ever, in  trust,  for  the  benefit  of  the  New  Hampshire 
College  of  Agriculture  and  the  Mechanic  Arts. 
(2s)  The  amount  to  be  increased  by  a  net  annual  com- 
pound interest  of  four  per  cent  for  twenty  years,  the 
income  of  the  property  during  that  time  to  be  available 
for  such  increase,  and  not  to  be  available  for  the  use  of 
the  college.  (3)  The  state  to  guarantee  an  appropria- 
tion of  three  thousand  dollars  annually  to  be  set  aside 
and  to  be  increased  by  a  net  annual  compound  interest 
of  four  per  cent  for  twenty  years,  "to  constitute  a  fund 
to  erect  buildings  and  furnish  the  same,  stock  the  farm, 
procure  apparatus,  and  commence  a  library."  (4)  The 
college  to  be  established  in  the  town  of  Durham,  and  on 
the  "Warner  Farm,"  the  property  of  Benjamin  Thomp- 
son at  his  death.  In  consequence  of  this  will  the  legis- 
lature voted  to  accept  the  provisions  of  the  will,  by  an 
act  approved  March  5,  1891. 

Almost  immediately  after,  by  an  act  approved  April 
10,  1891,  the  legislature  ordered  the  removal  of  the 
New  Hampshire  College  of  Agriculture  and  the  Me- 
chanic Arts  from  Hanover  to  Durham,  and  provided  for 
the  independent  government  of  the  college  by  a  board 
of  trustees  appointed  by  the  governor  with  the  consent 
of  the  council;  and  the  sum  of  one  hundred  thousand 
dollars  was  appropriated  for  this  purpose. 

One  other  item  of  importance  is  the  establishment  of 
an  experiment  station,  in  accordance  with  the  act  of  con- 
gress approved  March  2,  1887.  The  preamble  of  this 
act  reads  as  follows :  "That  in  order  to  aid  in  diffusing 
among  the  people  of  the  United  States  useful  and  prac- 
tical information  on  subjects  connected  with  agriculture, 
and  to  promote  scientific  investigation  and  experiment 
respecting  the  principles  and  applications  of  agricultural 
science,  there  shall  be  established,  under  the  direction  of 

325 


STATE  BUILDERS 

the  college  or  colleges,  or  agricultural  department  of  the 
colleges,  in  each  state  or  territory,  established  or  which 
may  be  established  in  accordance  with  an  act  approved 
July  2,  1882,  entitled  'An  act  donating  public  lands  to<  the 
several  states  and  territories,  which  may  provide  col- 
leges for  the  benefit  of  agriculture  and  the  mechanic 
arts/  or  any  supplement  to  said  act,  a  department  to  be 
known  and  designated  &s  'Agricultural  experiment  sta- 
tion.'."  For  the  maintenance  of  this  experiment  station 
the  sum  of  fifteen  thousand  dollars  annually  was  appro- 
priated, for  the  benefit  of  each  state.  In -accordance  with 
this  act  an  experiment  station  was  established  in  con- 
nection with  this  institution,  and  is  at  present  so  main- 
tained. 

From  the  first  it  was  evident  that  the  design  of  the 
several  acts  of  congress  and  of  the  legislature  was  to 
establish  an  institution  of  a  technical  character.  The 
rapid  development  of  manufacturing  industries  of  all 
kinds,  and  the  progressive  application  of  scientific  prin- 
ciples to  practical  affairs  of  life  had  already  given  an 
immense  impulse  to  technical  education.  Recognizing 
the  obligation  imposed  by  the  several  congressional  and 
legislative  enactments,  the  trustees  of  this  college  con- 
formed, not  only  to  the  letter,  but  to  the  spirit  of  their 
instructions.  Provision  was  made  for  full  collegiate 
courses  in  agriculture,  in  mechanical  engineering,  in  elec- 
trical engineering,  and  in  technical  chemistry.  It  was 
not  deemed  expedient  to  establish  a  department  of  civil 
engineering,  in  as  much  as  there  was  a  school  of  civil 
engineering  already  existing  in  the  state. 

In  accordance  with  more  recent  legislative  provisions 
some  shorter  courses  in  agriculture  have  been  added. 
These  are  more  immediately  practical  and  are  less  ex- 
acting in  their  preliminary  requirements  than  are  the 
four-year  courses. 

The  most  recent  catalogue  of  the  college  gives  a  list 

326 


STATE  BUILDERS 

of  eighteen  members  of  the  faculty,  and  during  the  cur- 
rent year  it  is  probable  that  this  number  will  be  increased 
to  twenty.  The  catalogue,  which  may  be  had  upon  ap- 
plication to  the  college,  also  contains  a  condensed  de- 
scription of  the  plant  at  large.  This  consists  of  the  main 
building  (Thompson  hall);  the  science  building  (Conant 
hall);  the  shop  building,  engine  and  boiler  room;  the 
agricultural  experiment  station  (Nesmith  hall);  the 
dairy  building;  a  farm  of  three  hundred  and  forty-two 
acres;  three  barns  and  two  greenhouses.  The  shop 
building  is  well  equipped  with  the  requisites  for  instruc- 
tion in  iron  working  and  wood  working,  and  with  vari- 
ous pieces  of  scientific  apparatus  for  the  investigation  of 
mechanical  problems  and  for  scientific  research.  The 
forge  shop,  which  has  recently  been  added,  is  fully 
equipped  with  down-draft  forges,  with  anvils,  and  the 
necessary  tools. 

The  lower  floor  of  the  science  building  is  devoted  to 
physics  and  electrical  engineering.  The  upper  floor  is 
divided  into  chemical  laboratories. 

There  is  in  process  of  construction  a  brick  building 
for  the  use  of  the  departments  of  agriculture  and  horti- 
culture. When  this  building  is  finished  and  fully 
equipped  with  the  required  apparatus,  it  will  afford  a 
place  for  the  departments  indicated,  and  will  thus  greatly 
relieve  the  pressure  upon  the  other  departments. 

The  college  has  grown  constantly  since  its  removal  to 
Durham,  the  enrolment  each  year  showing  a  marked 
increase  over  preceding  years,  although  there  has  been 
from  year  to  year  a  very  decided  advance  in  the  stand- 
ard of  the  required  scholarship.  The  entrance  require- 
ments for  the  four-year  course  at  present  are  equivalent 
to  a  full  high  school  course.  Entrance  requirements  for 
the  two-year  course  are  less  exacting  and  may  be  met 
by  a  student  who  has  had  an  ordinary  common  school 
education. 

327 


STATE  BUILDERS 

One  marked  feature  of  the  life  of  the  college  is  its  sim- 
plicity and  economy.  The  average  total  outlay  of  the  stu- 
dent is  hardly  in  excess  of  two  hundred  and  fifty  dollars 
for  the  year.  Many  of  the  students  earn  enough  to  help 
them  appreciably  in  meeting  necessary  expenses.  In  some 
cases  students  who  have  been  well  prepared  and  have  had 
a  fair  amount  of  time  at  their  disposal  have  been  able  to 
pay  practically  all  their  expenses  at  Durham.  But  these 
are  exceptional  cases. 

The  outlook  for  the  college  is  exceedingly  bright. 
With  an  increasing  constituency,  both  of  students  and 
of  those  who  are  interested  in  the  educational  interests 
of  the  state  of  New  Hampshire,  and  with  its  undeviating 
purpose  to  advance  the  cause  of  technical  education  in 
the  state,  the  college  has  gained  a  firm  standing  in  the 
public  confidence  and  esteem,  finding  a  constant  demand 
for  its  graduates  in  the  abundant  opportunities  of  indus- 
trial life. 


328 


CHARLES  FRANCIS  PIPER 


CHARLES  FRANCIS  PIPER. 

Charles  Francis  Piper  was  born  May  22d,  1849, 
at  Lee,  but  has  spent  nearly  all  of  his  active  life  in  Wolfe- 
borough,  where  he  is  now  easily  in  the  first  rank  of  active 
and  influential  citizens.  He  first  came  to  Wolfeborough 
as  a  student  at  the  old  Academy,  and  at  the  conclusion  of 
his  studies  he  went  to  Boston  and  entered  the  employ  of 
a  wholesale  dry  goods  house.  The  great  Boston  fire  of 
1872  put  an  end  to  this  and  he  then  entered  the  railway 
mail  service  for  a  run  between  Boston  and  Bangor.  He 
continued  in  this  employment  until  1876,  although  in,  the 
meantime  he  had  purchased  a  clothing  business  in  Wolfe- 
borough,  to  which  upon  his  retirement  from  the  mail 
service  he  devoted  his  entire  attention,  and  with  which  he 
was  identified  until  recently.  Mr.  Piper's  identifi- 
cation with  the  life  of  Wolfeborough  is  very  com- 
plete. During  the  administrations  of  Hayes,  Garfield  and 
Arthur,  he  was  postmaster  of  the  town,  having  previous- 
ly served  as  town  clerk.  He  has  been  town  treasurer  for 
seventeen  years,  has  represented  the  town  on  the 
Republican  State  Committee  for  twenty-four  years,  and 
is  now  county  member  of  the  executive  committee 
of  that  body.  He  has  been  a  delegate  from  Wolfeborough 
to  every  state  convention  of  his  party  since  1880.  In  1887 
he  represented  Wolfeborough  in  the  legislature.  In  1896 
he  was  nominated  for  member  of  the  Governor's  council 
and  was  elected  in  a  nominally  Democratic  district  by  a 
phenomenal  majority.  In  1890  he  was  elected  the  first 

329 


STATE  BUILDERS 

cashier  of  the  Wolfeborough  Loan  &  Banking  co.  and 
still  holds  that  position.  Mr.  Piper  has  been  instrumen- 
tal in  the  development  of  many  enterprises  in  his  town 
and  its  vicinity,  and  has  operated  extensively  in  lumber 
and  real  estate.  He  is  a  member  of  the  firm  of  S.  W. 
Clow  &  Co.,  and  in  association  with  other  gentlemen  con- 
trols a  long  line  of  water  front  on  the  shores  of  Lake 
Winnipesaukee  and  Lake  Wentworth,  which  is  rapidly 
being  developed  for  summer  resort  purposes.  Mr.  Piper 
is  a  trustee  of  the  Brewster  free  academy,  a  munificently 
endowed  secondary  school  at  Wolfeborough,  and  is  in 
every  way  in  touch  with  all  that  goes  to  advance  the  in- 
terests of  the  community  in  which  he  lives.  He  was  prac- 
tically instrumental  in  formulating  the  progressive  and 
liberal  policy  with  which  the  summer  resort  industry  has 
been  developed  in  Wolfeborough  and  vicinity,  and  the 
great  volume  of  business  of  this  sort  which  centres  there 
may  be  fairly  said  to  be  largely  due  to  his  wise  and  pru- 
dent, yet  generous  and  hospitable  methods  in  inviting 
both  the  transient  and  the  permanent  summer  guests.  Mr. 
Piper  is  a  member  of  Morning  Star  lodge,  Carroll  chap- 
ter. Orphan  council,  and  St.  Paul's  commandery  in  the 
Masonic  orders;  of  the  Red  Men;  of  the  Patrons  of 
Husbandry.  He  married,  Dec.  loth,  1874,  Ida  E.  Dur- 
gin,  a  member  of  a  thoroughly  representative  Wolfe- 
borough  family,  and  they  have  one  child,  a  son,  Carroll 
D.,  born  May  19,  1880,  who  was  graduated  from  Har- 
vard with  the  class  of  1902.  Mr.  Piper's  home  is  a 
beautiful  estate  on  the  shore  of  Lake  Winnipesaukee, 
where  he  delights  to  dispense  that  genial  hospitality 
which  is  so  characteristic  of  the  man. 


33° 


FERDINAND  A.   STILLINGS,  M.D. 


FERDINAND  A.  STILLINGS,  M.  D. 

At  Jefferson,  March  30,  1849,  was  born  Ferdinand 
Anson  Stillings,  the  son  of  Anson  Stillings  and  Phoebe  De 
Forest  Keniston.  He  was  educated  in  the  schools  of  Jef- 
ferson and  at  Lancaster  Academy,  and  choosing  medicine 
for  his  profession,  attended  lectures  at  Dartmouth  Medi- 
cal school,  where  he  received  his  degre  in  1870.  In  that 
year  he  was  appointed  assistant  physician  at  the  McLean 
Asylum  in  Somerville,  Mass.,  where  he  remained  for 
three  years,  after  which  he  pursued  his  studies  in  the  hos- 
pitals of  London,  Paris  and  Dublin.  Returning  to 
America  in  1874,  he  settled  in  Concord,  where  he  soon 
built  up  a  practice  which  is  now  recognized  as  one  of  the 
largest  in  the  state  and  from  which  he  is  frequently  called 
to  other  points  as  a  surgeon  and  consultant. 

In  the  field  of  surgery,  Dr.  Stillings  has  been  especial- 
ly conspicuous  and  successful,  and  he  is  at  the  head  of 
the  surgical  staff  of  the  Margaret  Pillsbury  general  hos- 
pital in  Concord,  and  of  the  Memorial  Hospital  for 
women  in  the  same  city. 

Dr.  Stillings  is  also  the  chief  surgeon  for  the  south- 
ern division  of  the  Boston  &  Maine  railroad,  and  he  has 
served  as  surgeon-general  upon  the  staff  of  Gov.  Hiram 
A.  Tuttle  and  of  Gov.  Frank  W.  Rollins.  While  in  this 
capacity  he  greatly  raised  the  standing  of  the  medical 
department  of  the  National  guard  by  reorganizing  the 
hospital  corps  and  by  establishing  drills  for  its  members 
with  a  view  to  enhancing  their  efficiency  in  time  of  need. 


STATE  BUILDERS 

As  a  result  of  these  efforts  during  the  Spanish  war  the 
first  New  Hampshire  regiment  went  into  the  field  with 
a  hospital  corps  competent  to  care  for  its  sick  and  injured. 

In  1899,  Dr.  Stillings  was  chosen  to  rqu resent  Ward 
five,  Concord,  in  the  legislature,  and  served  as  chairman 
of  the  committee  on  banks.  He  was  re-elected  to  the 
legislature  in  1901,  and  served  as  head  of  the  committee 
on  insane  asylum,  in  which  capacity  he  was  successful 
in  securing  an  appropriation  for  much-needed  repairs  and 
additions  to  the  state  hospital.  During  this  session  also 
Dr.  Stillings  made  a  profound  study  of  tuberculosis,  and 
realizing  the  great  danger  to  the  public  health  from  the 
effects  of  this  disease  and  knowing,  too,  the  ameliorative 
and  remedial  agencies  which  had  been  successfully  em- 
ployed in  other  states  to  curtail  the  disastrous  results  of 
this  dread  malady,  introduced  and  caused  to  be  passed  a 
joint  resolution  creating  a  commission  to  investigate  as 
to  the  advisability  of  establishing  a  state  sanatorium  for 
consumptives.  This  commission  has  prepared  and  pre- 
sented to  the  legislature  of  the  current  year  a  report 
heartily  advocating  the  establishment  of  such  a  sanatori- 
um, and  Dr.  Stillings,  who  in  the  meantime  has  been 
chosen  a  member  of  the  state  senate  from  the  loth  Dis- 
trict, is  one  of  its  strongest  advocates  in  the  legislature. 

Dr.  Stillings's  professional  affiliations  are  numerous 
and  important.  He  is  an  active  and  prominent  member 
of  the  New  Hampshire  Medical  society,  the  New  Hamp- 
shire Surgical  club,  of  the  Center  District  Medi- 
cal society,  of  the  International  Association 
of  railway  surgeons,  and  of  the  surgical  section  of 
the  New  York  Medico-Legal  association.  He  is  an  hon- 
orary member  of  the  New  York  Association  of  railway 
surgeons  and  of  numerous  other  professional  bodies.  He 
has  also  wide  business  connections,  being  a  director  in  the 
Mechanics'  National  Bank,  and  a  member  of  the  govern- 
ing board  of  numerous  other  financial  and  business 

332 


STATE  BUILDERS 

bodies.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Wonolancet  club  and 
served  several  terms  as  president  of  the  Passaconaway 
outing  club. 

In  1878  Dr.  Shillings  married  Grace  M.  Minot,  second 
daughter  of  the  late  Josiah  Minot,  and  has  two  daugh- 
ters. Their  home  on  Pleasant  street,  shaded  by  the  ven- 
erable and  graceful  Lafayette  elm,  is  one  of  the  most 
charmingly  hospitable  in  Concord. 


333 


REV.  D.  C.  BABCOCK,  D.  D. 

Daniel  Clark  Babcock  was  born  in  Blandford,  Mass., 
May  31,  1835,  the  second  of  four  sons  of  Russell  and 
Susan  A.  (Clark)  Babcock,  of  whom  he  alone  is  the  sur- 
vivor. He  received  his  early  education  in  the  public 
schools  of  Blandford. 

He  was  converted  in  Milford,  Mass.,  in  March,  1852, 
and  joined  the  M.  E.  church  in  that  place.  In  1854  he 
transferred  his  membership  to  Sutton,  Mass.,  and  in  the 
spring-  following  was  given  an  Exhorter's  License,  after 
which  he  conducted  Sunday  services  most  of  the  time. 

The  first  of  January,  1857,  he  moved  to  Oakdale, 
Mass.,  where  he  was  given  a  Local  Preacher's  License, 
and  upon  invitation  filled  a  vacancy  as  preacher  at  Sud- 
bury  till  the  following1  session  of  the  Conference. 

After  the  Conference  at  Lowell,  in  April,  1857,  he  was 
placed  in  charge  of  a  Mission  in  Somerville,  Mass. 

In  April  of  the  following  year  (1858)  he  went  to  school 
at  the  East  Greenwich,  R.  I.  Academy,  and  supplied  a 
pulpit  at  Wickford,  R.  I.,  to  meet  school  expenses. 

In  February,  1859,  he  accepted  a  call  to  take  the  place 
of  Rev.  E.  W.  Parker,  at  Lunenburg,  Vt,  he,  having 
been  appointed  a  missionary  to  India.  Late  in  April  of 
the  same  year  he  was  given  a  Charge  at  Mclndoes  Falls, 
Vt.,  that  he  might  attend  the  school  at  Newbury.  There 
he  remained  two  years. 

In  April,  1861,  he  joined  the  New  Hampshire  Con- 
ference, at  Concord,  and  held  the  following  appoint- 

334 


REV.  D.  C.  BABCOCK,  D.D. 


STATE  BUILDERS 

ments: — Bow,  1861;  Fisherville  (Penacook),  1862; 
Pleasant  Street,  Salem,  1863-4;  Great  Falls,  High 
Street,  1865-6;  Claremont,  1867;  Manchester,  St. 
Paul's,  1868-9;  Nashua,  Chestnut  Street,  1870. 

While  stationed  at  Bow  he  entered  the  Theological 
Seminary  at  Concord,  from  which  he  graduated  in  June, 
1864. 

In  1871  he  received  the  appointment  as  Corresponding 
Secretary  of  the  N.  H.  Temperance  Alliance.  From 
1872  to  1887  he  was  Corresponding  Secretary  of  the 
State  Temperance  Union  of  Pennsylvania.  From  1880 
to  1888  he  was  also  one  of  the  secretaries  of  the  National 
Temperance  .Society.  For  two  years  he  was  at  the  head 
of  the  Grand  Lodge,  I.  O.  G.  T.,  of  Pennsylvania,  and 
editor  of  the  "Lodge  Visitor";  and  for  several  years 
published  the  "Pennsylvania  Temperance  Union,"  both 
of  which  were  monthly  journals. 

During  the  sixteen  years  devoted  to  this  special  work, 
he  averaged  eighteen  sermons  and  acldresss  a  month, 
and  fifteen  thousand  miles  of  travel  a  year.  He  also 
conducted  about  forty  Temperance  Camp  Meetings  at 
various  summer  resorts. 

Returning  to  the  regular  pastorate  in  New  Hampshire, 
in  1888,  he  was  appointed  to  the  following  Charges: — • 
Claremont,  1888-9;  Lancaster,  1890-2;  Whitefield, 

I893-5- 

In  1896  he  was  appointed  to  the  special  work  as  Sec- 
retary of  the  N.  H.  Law  and  Order  League,  with  head- 
quarters at  Concord. 

The  following  year  he  returned  to  the  pastorate,  and 
has  held  the  following  Charges:  Dover,  1897-9;  Derry, 
St.  Luke's,  1900-03. 

In  April,  1860,  he  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss 
Clara  Albee  Parkman  of  Sutton,  Mass.  Two  daughters 
came  to  cheer  and  bless  their  home  life:  Susie  P.,  who 
lives  at  home,  and  Mary  A.,  who,  in  1894,  was  married 

335 


STATE  BUILDERS 

to  J.  Roy  Dinsmore,  a  member  of  the  New  Hampshire 
Conference. 

In  1896,  the  American  Temperanct  University  of 
Harriman,  Tenn.,  conferred  the  honorary  title,  D.  D., 
upon  him  in  grateful  acknowledgment  of  his  effective 
and  wide  spread  work  in  the  temperance  cause. 

Mr.  Babcock  is  well  and  favorably  known  throughout 
the  state  as  a  strong  Gospel  Preacher,  and  a  fearless  and 
ardent  supporter  of  the  temperance  cause.  His  long 
experience  upon  the  public  platform  throughout  the 
country  has  well  fitted  him  as  a  leadei  in  this  special 
branch  of  reform. 


336 


WILLIAM  HENRY  WEED  HINDS,  M.I). 


WILLIAM  HENRY  WEED  HINDS,  M.  D. 

A  young  physician,  well  schooled,  and  already  firmly 
established  in  the  practice  of  his  profession,  is  Dr.  Will- 
iam Henry  Weed  Hinds  of  Milford,  who  was  born  in  that 
town  July  22nd,  1867.  He  bears  his  father's  name  and 
follows  his  father's  profession.  The  elder  Hinds  was  a 
graduate  of  Harvard  and  a  veteran  of  the  Civil  war.  His 
son  was  educated  in  the  public  schools  of  his  native  town, 
graduating  at  the  High  school,  with  a  special  course  at 
Gushing  academy,  Ashburnham,  Mass.  He  studied  his 
profession  at  the  Boston  University  School  of  Medicine, 
and  received  his  degree  in  1895.  He  entered  upon  prac- 
tice at  Milford,  occupying  the  office  in  which  his  father 
practised  for  so  many  years,  and  has  from  the  outset  en- 
joyed a  practice  lucrative  and  full  of  promise.  For  five 
years  he  has  been  secretary  of  the  Milford  board  of  health, 
and  is  medical  examiner  for  several  of  the  leading  life 
insurance  companies.  He  married  Miss  K.  Maude  Ken- 
ney,  of  Milford,  and  they  have  one  son,  who*  bears  in  the 
third  generation  the  name  of  his  father  and  grandfather. 
Dr.  Hinds  is  a  member  of  the  New  Hampshire  Homeo- 
pathic Medical  society,  and  of  the  American  Institute  of 
Homeopathy.  In  politics  he  is  a  Republican  and  in  re- 
ligion a  Unitarian.  He  is  a  Mason,  and  a  Past  Master  of 
Benevolent  lodge  No.  7  of  Milford. 


337 


CHARLES  RUMFORD  WALKER,  M.  D. 

Charles  Rumford  Walker,  M.  D.,  descendant  in  the 
fourth  generation  from  the  Rev.  Timothy  Walker,  the 
first  minister  of  Concord,  was  born  in  that  city  February 
13,  1852,  and  was  fitted  for  college  at  the  Phillips-Exeter 
Academy,  where  he  graduated  in  1870.  Four  years  later 
he  received  his  degree  from  Yale  college,  and  immediately 
entered  upon  the  study  of  medicine  at  the  Harvard  Medi- 
cal school,  being  graduated  from  that  institution  in  1878. 
Soon  after  he  was  appointed  member  of  the  house  staff 
at  the  Boston  city  hospital,  where  he  served  as  surgical 
intern  until  January,  1879.  ^n  February  of  the  same 
year  he  went  abroad  in  the  further  pursuit  of  his  profes- 
sional studies,  and  was  matriculated  in  the  foremost  insti- 
tutions of  Dublin,  London,  Vienna  and  Strasburg,  his 
European  studies  occupying  more  than  two  years.  In 
March,  1881,  he  returned  to  Concord  and  established 
himself  in  a  practice  which  has  now  grown  to  be  one  of 
the  largest  in  the  city. 

In  addition  to  his  general  practice,  Dr.  Walker  is  a 
member  of  the  staff  of  the  Margaret  Pillsbury  general 
hospital,  where  he  has  served  since  the  institution  was  es- 
tablished, and  is  also  the  physician  of  St.  Paul's  school. 
He  also  served  a  term  as  surgeon  in  the  National  guard. 

In  1899,  Dr.  Walker  was  elected  president  of  the  New 
Hampshire  Medical  society,  and  held  that  position  during 
the  constitutional  term.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Ameri- 
can medical  association  and  of  the  national  board  of 
health. 

338 


CHARLES  RUMFORD  WALKER,  M.D. 


STATE  BUILDERS 

Dr.  Walker  is  a  trustee  of  the  New  Hampshire  savings 
bank,  and  is  a  trustee  and  treasurer  of  the  Rolfe  and 
Rumford  Asylum,  a  Concord  institution  endowed  by  the 
will  of  the  late  Countess  Rumford  and  supporting  or- 
phaned female  children.  He  is  also  one  of  the  trustees 
and  treasurer  of  the  Timothy  and  Abigail  B.  Walker  free 
lecture  fund,  an  endowment  of  thirty  thousand  dollars 
bequeathed  in  trust  for  the  benefit  of  the  people  of  Con- 
cord, and  principally  administered  by  Dr.  Walker. 

Dr.  Walker's  interest  in  public  affairs  has  brought  him 
into  official  positions  in  the  city  and  state  governments, 
and  in  1892  he  was  elected  member  of  the  board  of  alder- 
men of  Concord  from  Ward  5.  In  1894  he  was  chosen 
to  represent  his  ward  in  the  legislature,  where  he  served 
as  a  member  of  the  committees  on  public  health  and  on 
the  state  library,  of  the  latter  committee  being  chairman. 

Dr.  Walker  was  married  January  18,  1888,  to  Miss 
Frances  Sheafe  of  Boston,  and  has  two  children,  Sheafe 
Walker  and  Charles  R.  Walker,  Jr. 


339 


JOSEPH  E.  A.  LANOUETTE,  M.  D. 

Joseph  Edouard  Adolphe  Lanouette  is  a  distinguished 
appearing  medical  practitioner  of  over  a  score  of  years' 
standing  in  Manchester,  having  come  to  the  city  Jan.  31, 
1881.  He  is  in  the  prime  of  life,  being  53  years  of  age, 
having  been  born  Jan.  7,  1850,  at  Champlain,  Que.,  a 
place  named  after  the  founder  of  the  capital  of  lower 
Canada. 

He  is  the  son  of  Capt.  Edouard  Adolphe  and  Leocadie 
(Hamel)  Lanouette,  grandson  of  Col.  Joseph  Edouard 
Lanouette.  He  was  educated  in  the  common  schools  of 
his  native  town  until  10  years  of  age;  then  attended  St. 
Joseph's  college,  Three  Rivers,  P.  Q.;  commenced  the 
study  of  medicine  in  1868,  under  Drs.  C.  E.  Lemieux, 
S.  Larue,  Quebec,  and  A.  H.  David,  Montreal,  Canada; 
attended  three  courses  of  lectures  at  Laval  university, 
medical  department,  Quebec,  and  one  course  at  the  Uni- 
versity of  Bishop's  Medical  college,  faculty  of  medicine, 
Montreal,  P.  Q.,  receiving  his  degree  from  the  latter 
April  10,  1872. 

Dr.  Lanouette  practised  medicine  at  Gentilly,  Canada, 
from  May,  1872,  to  January,  1881;  and  was  a  surgeon 
in  the  Ninety-second  battalion  of  the  Canadian  militia 
from  i873-'9i;  and  since  the  latter  year  has  been  a  resi- 
dent of  and  practitioner  in  Manchester.  He  is  a  member 
of  the  New  Hampshire  Medical  society;  of  the  Ameri- 
can Public  Health  association;  of  the  College  of  Physi- 
cians and  Suigeons  of  the  Province  of  Quebec;  of  the 


JOSEPH  E.  A.  LANOUETTE,  M.D. 


JOHN  C.   FRENCH. 

The  late  John  C.  French  of  Manchester,  who  for 
thirty  years  was  recognized  as  the  leading  member  of  the 
fire  insurance  business  in  New  Hampshire,  was  born  at 
Pittsfield,  March  ist.  1832,  the  son  of  Enoch  and  Eliza 
(Gate)  French.  His  early  advantages  were  scanty,  but 
by  diligent  use  of  the  town  schools  he  soon  fitted  himself 
to  teach  in  the  district  school,  and  with  the  money  thus 
earned,  together  with  that  received  for  labor  on  the  farm 
in  summer  time,  he  was  enabled  to  pursue  his  studies  at 
the  academies  in  Pittsfield,  Gilmanton  and  Pembroke.  At 
twenty-one  he  was  engaged  by  J.  C.  Colton  &  co.  as  an 
agent  and  his  success  was  so  marked  that  he  was  given 
charge  of  the  Boston  agency  of  the  house.  In  1855  he 
was  appointed  New  England  agent  for  the  sale  of  Col- 
ton's  text  books  and  for  the  next  eleven  years  was  en- 
gaged in  this  business  with  them,  and  with  Brown,  Tag- 
erart  &  Chase,  and  Charles  Scribner  &  co.  In  1866  Mr. 
French  established  himself  in  Manchester  as  state  agent 
for  the  Connecticut  Mutual  Life  Insurance  company. 
Three  years  later,  having  in  the  meantime  assiduously 
studied  the  insurance  business  in  all  its  bearings,  Mr. 
French  organized  the  New  Hampshire  Fire  Insurance 
company,  which  proved  to  be  his  life  work.  He  was 
appointed  general  agent  of  the  company  and  during  the 
thirty  years  that  he  was  connected  with  it  in  all  capaci- 
ties, from  that  of  agent  to  that  of  president,  he  had  the 
satisfaction  of  seeing  its  business  mount  from  almost 

342 


JOHN  C.  FRENCH 


STATE  BUILDERS 

nothing-  to  assets  of  more  than  three  million  dollars,  and 
to  the  ownership  of  a  net  surplus  amounting  to  one-third 
of  that  sum.  From  a  modest  office  with  one  clerk  he 
saw  its  business  extend  from  his  native  state  to  nearly 
every  state  in  the  union,  employing  experienced  help  in 
all  sections  of  the  country,  and  writing  more  than  a 
million  and  a  half  of  business  yearly.  In  1895  Mr. 
French  \vas  elected  president  of  the  company  and  held 
that  office  until  the  time  of  his  death,  Jan.  8,  1900,  which 
was  hastened  by  a  deplorable  carriage  accident  some  eight 
months  previously.  In  addition  to  his  business  sagacity 
he  had  a  marked  taste  and  capacity  for  matters  of  his- 
tory, genealogy  and  general  literature.  He  was  a  mem- 
ber of  the  New  Hampshire  Historical  society,  one  of  the 
founders  and  president  of  the  Manchester  Historical  as- 
sociation, a  trustee  of  the  Manchester  public  library  and 
of  the  N.  H.  insane  asylum.  He  was  an  authority  on 
matters  of  early  New  Hampshire  history  and  his  knowl- 
edge of  bibliography,  especially  in  its  historical  and  gene- 
alogical branches  was  wide  and  accurate.  Matters  per- 
taining to  the  public  good  always  commanded  his  atten- 
tion. 

He  established  the  S unco  ok  Valley  Times,  a  weekly 
newspaper,  to  the  columns  of  which  he  contributed  topics 
of  history  and  biography,  and  through  this  medium  ren- 
dered no  small  assistance  in  securing  the  construction  of 
the  Suncook  Valley  Railroad,  which  proved  of  so  much 
value  to  Pittsfield  and  neighboring  towns. 

Mr.  French  was  a  constant  attendant  and  liberal  sup- 
porter of  the  Franklin  Street  Congregational  Church, 
was  a  thirty-second  degree  Mason  and  a  Knight  Tem- 
plar, and  was  Director  in  the  Merchants'  National  bank. 
He  married,  in  1858,  Annie  M.  Philbrick  of  Deerfield, 
who,  with  two  daughters  and  one  son,  survive  him. 


343 


REV.  LORIN  WEBSTER. 

One  of  the  most  progressive  of  New  Hampshire  edu- 
cators is  the  Rev.  Lorin  Webster,  rector  of  Holderness 
School,  Plymouth.  Mr.  Webster  was  born  in  Clare- 
mont,  July  29,  1857,  and  was  fitted  for  college  at  St. 
Paul's  School,  Concord.  He  matriculated  at  Trinity  Col- 
lege, Hartford,  and  was  graduated  in  1880  with  the 
degree  of  Bachelor  of  Arts,  three  years  later  receiving 
his  Master's  degree  from  the  same  institution.  Deter- 
mining to  enter  the  ministry  of  the  Protestant  Episcopal 
Church,  he  studied  theology  at  the  Berkeley  Divinity 
School,  Middletown,  Conn.,  and  was  graduated  with  the 
degree  of  Bachelor  of  Divinity  in  1883.  He  imme- 
diately entered  the  faculty  of  Holderness  School  as  a 
master,  where  he  remained  for  one  year,  resigning 
to  assume  the  rectorship  of  the  Episcopal  Church  at  Ash- 
land. From  this  position  he  was  recalled  to  Holderness 
to  assume  the  rectorship  of  the  school  in  1892,  and  under 
his  direction  the  institution  has  made  great  advance,  both 
in  equipment,  endowment  and  numbers.  The  training  at 
Holderness  School  is  thorough  and  scholarly.  Located 
upon  the  homestead  of  Chief  Justice  Samuel  Livermore, 
one  of  that  sturdy  group  who  gave  New  Hampshire  as 
an  infant  state  its  proud  standing  in  the  young  republic, 
the  school  is  adequately  housed  in  substantial  buildings, 
affording  healthful  and  homelike  accommodations  for  all 
the  boys  enrolled.  The  atmosphere  of  the  school  is  that 
of  the  home,  although  discipline  and  study  are  by  no 

344 


REV.  LOREN  WEBSTER 


STATE  BUILDERS 

means  lacking.  The  honor  rolls  of  representative  Ameri- 
can colleges  testify  to  the  good  work  done  at  Holderness 
School. 

Under  Mr.  Webster  the  school  has  made  its  greatest 
strides.  Possessing  that  ardent  temperament  which  ap- 
peals irresistibly  to  the  mind  of  youth,  the  rector  has 
been  enabled  to  impress  his  personality  largely  upon  the 
masters  and  pupils  of  the  school.  Himself  a  scholar  of 
no  mean  repute,  endowed  with  many  graces  of  character 
and  person,  and  entering  with  zeal  into  all  that  affects 
the  interests  of  those  committed  to  his  care,  the  rector  of 
Holderness  School  occupies  an  unique  position  at  the 
head  of  his  large  family  of  pupils,  standing,  it  may  be 
said  without  exaggeration,  in,  loco  parentis  to  the  boys 
who  come  under  his  guardianship.  Sound  morals,  sound 
bodies,  sound  scholarship,  these  are  the  cardinal  princi- 
ples of  the  work  done  at  Holderness  School. 

These  are  also  the  principles  which  will  be  inculcated 
at  Camp  Wachusett,  a  summer  camp  for  boys,  which  Mr. 
Webster  opened  in  1903  on  the  shore  of  'Squam  Lake, 
justly  famed  for  its  picturesque  beauty.  The  camp 
property  contains  about  eight  acres,  and  has  a  frontage 
on  the  shore  of  more  than  nine  hundred  feet. 

Mr.  Webster  is  a  musician  of  note,  and  many  of  his 
compositions  have  enjoyed  wide  popularity.  From  1898 
to  1901,  he  was  president  of  the  New  Hampshire  Music 
Teachers'  Association,  and  did  much  to  place  that  organ- 
ization upon  the  sound  footing  which  it  now  enjoys. 

Mr.  Webster  was  married  in  1884,  to  Miss  Jennie  J. 
Adams,  and  has  three  children,  Harold  A.,  Bertha  L., 
and  Jerome  P.  In  college  Mr.  Webster  was  a  member 
of  the  Psi  Upsilon  fraternity,  and  he  is  a  Mason. 


345 


ALLEN  N.  CLAPP. 

One  of  the  men  who  helped  make  Manchester  what 
she  is,  the  Queen  City  of  the  Merrimack  valley,  was  the 
late  Allen  N.  Clapp,  merchant,  public  official  and  man 
of  affairs.  He  was  a  native  of  Marlixtrough,  New 
Hampshire,  having1  been  born  in  that  town  on  January 
2,  1837.  He  received  his  early  education  in  the  schools 
of  Nashua  and  at  McGaw  institute,  Reed's  ferry,  one  of 
the  best  of  the  old  time  academies. 

At  the  age  of  eighteen  years  he  went  to  Nashua  and 
entered  upon  a  business  career  distinguished  for  its  up- 
rightness, enterprise  and  success.  For  many  years  he 
was  one  of  the  principal  wholesale  grocers  in  his  section, 
and  for  a  considerable  period  he  represented  the  Standard 
Oil  company  in  Manchester.  Business  men  of  his  stamp 
add  to  the  moral  as  w:ell  as  the  material  wealth  of  a  com- 
munity and  deserve  the  honor  which  Mr.  Clapp,  cer- 
tainly, received. 

In  1861-1862  he  was  elected  by  his  fellow  citizens  to 
the  board  of  aldermen;  in  1874-1875  to  the  New  Hamp- 
shire house  of  representatives,  and  in  1897-1899  to  the  up- 
per branch  of  the  legislature,  the  New  Hampshire  state 
senate.  To>  the  discharge  of  these  various  public  duties  Mr. 
Clapp  brought  the  same  intelligence,  industry  and  applica- 
tion which  marked  his  private  business  life;  and  on  every 
question  that  came  before  him  for  decision  and  action 
he  played  the  part  of  a  conscientious  administrator  and 
citizen. 

346 


ALLEN  N.  CLAPP 


STATE  BUILDERS 

Passing-  away  when  but  little  beyond  the  prime  of  a 
happy  and  highly  useful  life,  Mr.  Qapp  did  not  allow 
the  memory  of  his  good  deeds  to  cease  with  his  demise, 
but  in  his  will  generously  remembered  Elliott  Hospital, 
the  First  Congregational  church  of  Manchester,  the 
Manchester  Y.  M.  C.  A.  and  other  worthy  institutions. 

.Mr.  Clapp  married,  May  25,  1863,  Josephine  M. 
Mason  of  Keene,  New  Hampshire.  Their  one  child  is 
Mrs.  Annie  Mason  Sheldon. 


347 


CHARLES  E.  TILTON. 

Charles  Elliott  Tilton,  son  of  Samuel  Tilton,  was  born 
in  that  part  of  the  town  of  Sanbornton  subsequently  set 
off  and  incorporated  as  the  town  of  Tilton,  September 
14,  1827,  and  died  there  on  September  28,  1901.  At  the 
time  of  his  death  he  was  one  of  New  Hampshire's  best 
known  and  most  public  spirited  citizens. 

He  was  educated  under  the  instruction  of  the  late  Prof. 
Dyer  H.  Sanborn  and  at  Norwich  university,  passing 
three  years  at  the  latter  institution,  then  located  at  Nor- 
wich, Vt. 

Starting  out,  while  a  young  man,  to  seek  his  fortune, 
he  first  sailed  to  South  America.  Hearing  of  the  gold 
discoveries  in  California,  he  became  one  of  the  world 
famous  '49ers.  Soon  concluding  that  for  him  trade 
would  be  more  profitable  than  gold  digging,  he  went  to 
Oregon  in  1850  and  formed  a  partnership  with  W.  S. 
Ladd  for  general  mercantile  pursuits.  This  continued 
until  1859,  when  the  banking  house  of  Ladd  &  Tilton 
was  established  at  Portland,  Oregon,  becoming  an  impor- 
tant factor  in  the  financial  life  of  the  coast  and  so  con- 
tinuing until  1880,  when  Mr.  Tilton  retired. 

Meanwhile  he  had  been  engaged  in  various  important 
business  enterprises  in  all  the  states  and  territories  of  the 
Pacific  Northwest.  One  of  the  most  widely  known  was 
the  Oregon  Railway  £  Navigation  company. 

Mr.  Tilton  resided  during  the  summer  time 
in  the  town  which  bore  hi>  name  and  which  he  benefited 

348 


CHARLES  E.  TILTON 


STATE  BUILDERS 

in  almost  countless  ways.  A  fine  farm  there  he  gave  to 
the  state  of  New  Hampshire  as  the  site  for  its  Soldiers' 
Home.  The  Memorial  Arch,  which  every  traveller 
through  the  town  sees  and  admires;  the  Town  Hall;  the 
fair  grounds;  and  many  other  adornments  of  the  town 
were  due  to  his  generosity.  There,  too,  he  invested  large 
sums  of  money  in  real  estate  and  business  enterprises. 
He  was  a  director  of  the  Concord  &  Montreal  railroad 
and  was  actively  instrumental  in  the  construction  of  the 
Franklin  and  Tilton  and  Tilton  and  Belmont  railroads. 

Mr.  Tilton  was  a  Democrat  in  politics,  but  never  would 
accept  political  preferment. 

A  widow,  Genevieve  E.  Tilton,  two  sons,  Alfred  E.  and 
Charles  E.,  Jr.,  all  of  whom  reside  in  Tilton,  and  Myra 
Ames  Frost,  a  daughter,  a  resident  of  Fitchburg,  Mass., 
survive  Mr.  Tilton. 


349 


WILLIAM  JEWETT  TUCKER. 

Dartmouth  College,  founded  in  1769  by  Eleazer 
Wheelock,  primarily  as  a  training  school  for  Indian  use, 
has  long  since'  outgrown  the  intention  of  its  founder,  and 
though  still  proud  to  think  of  itself  in  the  words  of  its 
greatest  son  as  "a  small  college,"  it  nevertheless  now  ranks 
in  number  of  students  and  excellence  of  equipment  with 
the  largest  institutions  of  learning  in  the  country.  Hav- 
ing passed  the  period  of  establishment  and  entered  upon  a 
definite  policy  of  expansion,  both  in  the  external  and  in- 
ternal affairs  of  the  college,  Dartmouth  in  the  past  ten 
years  has  taken  immense  strides  toward  educational  per- 
fection. This  period  marks  the  administration  of  Wil- 
liam Jewett  Tucker,  who  was  inducted  into  office  in  June, 
1893.  President  Tucker  is  a  native  of  Griswold,  Con- 
necticut, where  he  was  born  July  13,  1839.  His  early 
education  was  obtained  at  the  Academy  in  Plymouth, 
N.  H.,  and  Kimball  Union  Academy,  Meriden.  He 
graduated  from  Dartmouth  with  high  rank  in  the  class  of 
1 86 1,  and  for  two  years  thereafter  was  engaged  in  teach- 
ing at  Columbus,  Ohio.  He  then  entered  upon  the  study 
of  theology  at  Andover  Seminary  and  was  graduated  in 
1866.  He  began  his  ministry  in  the  city  of  Manchester, 
where  he  was  ordained  and  installed  pastor  of  the  Frank- 
lin Street  Congregational  Church  in  1867.  Remaining 
there  until  1875,  he  was  called  to  the  Madison  Square 
Presbyterian  church  of  New  York,  where  he  continued 
until  1880,  when  he  was  chosen  to  the  chair  of  homiletics 

35° 


STATE  BUILDERS 

in  Andover  Theological  seminary.  From  this  post  he 
was  called  to  the  presidency  of  Dartmouth.  During  the 
years  of  his  professorship  at  Dartmouth,  Dr.  Tucker  be- 
came deeply  interested  in  practical  sociological  work  and 
founded  the  Andover  House  and  social  settlement  in  Bos- 
ton, now  known  as  the  South  End  house.  He  was  one 
of  the  founders  and  editor  of  the  Andover  Review.  In 
1893,  Dr.  Tucker  delivered  the  annual  Phi  Beta  Kappa 
oration  at  Harvard  University,  and  in  1894  was  a  lecturer 
in  the  Lowell  Institute  in  Boston,  delivering  there  a  most 
remarkable  series  of  addresses  bearing  upon  modern  re- 
ligious problems.  In  1897  ne  delivered  the  Winkley  lec- 
tures at  Andover  seminary,  and  in  1898  was  the  lecturer 
on  the  Lyman  Beecher  foundation  at  Yale  Theological 
school.  These  lectures,  subsequently  published  under  the 
title,  "The  Making  and  Unmaking  of  a  Preacher,"  rank 
high  in  suggestiveness  and  value. 


FRANK  W.  GRAFTOX,  M.  D. 

One  of  the  younger  members  of  the  medical  fraternity 
in  New  Hampshire,  but  yet  by  promise  and  performance 
entitled  to  high  rank  among  his  professional  brethren,  is 
Dr.  Frank  W.  Grafton,  of  Concord,  who  was  born  in  Gil- 
ford, in  1869,  and  was  educated  at  Gilmanton  academy, 
and  in  the  schools  of  the  city  of  Concord.  His  medical 
studies  were  pursued  at  Dartmouth  Medical  school, 
where  he  received  the  degree  of  Doctor  of  Medicine  in 
1895,  and  after  a  year's  service  in  the  hospitals, 
entered  upon  active  practice  at  Concord.  His 
success  was  immediate  and  his  practice  has  in- 
creased yearly  until  it  is  now  one  of  the  most  extensive 
and  lucrative  enjoyed  by  any  physician  in  the  city.  Dr. 
Grafton  in  addition  to  the  demands  of  his  many  patients 
is  a  member  of  the  staff  of  the  Margaret  Pillsbury  general 
hospital,  giving  no  little  time  to  the  duties  of  that  posi- 
tion. He  maintains  close  touch  with  the  progress  of  his 
profession  through  active  membership  with  the  New 
Hampshire  Medical  association,  the  Center  District  Medi- 
cal society  and  the  American  Medical  association.  His 
contributions  to  the  programs  of  some  of  these  organiza- 
tions bear  evidence  of  sound  medical  learning,  surgical 
skill  and  rare  good  judgment.  He  married  in  Dec.  1896 
Miss  Edith  McDowell,  and  their  home  on  State  street  in 
the  centre  of  the  most  desirable  residential  section  of  Con- 
cord is  the  abode  of  culture  and  refinement,  and  the  scene 
of  much  charming  hospitality.  Dr.  Grafton  is  a  member 
of  the  Wonolancet  club,  a  Mason  and  Knights  Templar, 
and  a  member  of  the  Odd  Fellows.  He  attends  the  Epis- 
copal church. 

352 


FRANK  W.  GRAFFTON,   M.D. 


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353 


GEORGE  HAMILTON  PERKINS. 

George  Hamilton  Perkins,  United  States  Navy, 
was  born  in  Hopkinton,  New  Hampshire,  October 
20,  1835,  and  died  at  his  residence,  23  Commonwealth 
avenue,  Boston,  Massachusetts,  on  October  28,  1899. 

He  was  a  son  of  the  late  Judge  Hamilton  E.  Perkins 
of  the  Merrimack  County  probate  court  and  was  reared 
and  received  his  early  education  in  the  capital  city,  Con- 
cord. 

Appointed  to  the  Naval  Academy  at  Annapolis,  he  be- 
came acting  midshipman  in  1851;  lieutenant,  February 
2,  1861;  lieutenant  commander  December  13,  1862; 
commander,  January  19,  1871;  captain  March  10,  1882; 
and  commodore  in  1896  by  special  act  of  Congress,  five 
years  after  his  retirement  as  captain. 

Commodore  Perkins  left  a  wife,  who  was  a  daugh- 
ter of  the  millionaire  merchant  of  Boston,  the  late  Will- 
iam F.  Weld,  and  a  daughter,  Isabel,  the  wife  of  Lars 
Anderson.  By  them  a  splendid  monument  to  his  memory 
was  erected  in  the  Statehouse  enclosure  at  Concord  and 
presented  to,  the  state  with  appropriate  exercises  in  1902. 
Daniel  C.  French  was  the  sculptor  and  President  Tucker 
of  Dartmouth  was  the  orator  of  the  occasion. 

Commodore  Perkins  owned  an  extensive  summer  es- 
tablishment in  the  town  of  Webster  where  he  spent  much 
money  for  various  improvements  and  where  he  enjoyed 
long  and  frequent  visits.  His  attachment  to  his  native 
State  remained  strong  during  life. 

354 


GEORGE  HAMILTON  PERKINS, 
Commodore  United  States  Naiy 


STATE  BUILDERS 

His  service  in  the  Navy  during  the  War  of  the  Rebel- 
lion was  distinguished  for  bravery,  brilliance  and  her- 
oism. He  was  executive  officer  of  the  "Cayuga"  at  the 
passage  of  Forts  Jackson  and  St.  Philip,  and  the  capture 
of  New  Orleans  by  Farragut  in  1862,  accompanying 
Captain  Bailey  when  the  latter  was  sent  ashore  to  receive 
the  surrender  of  the  city  amid  the  curses  and  threats  of 
a  fiendish  mob. 

He  commanded  the  ironclad,  "Chickasaw,"  in  the  bat- 
tle of  Mobile  Bay;  was  mainly  instrumental  in  the  capture 
of  the  big  rebel  ram,  "Tennessee";  subsequently  bom- 
barded Fort  Powell,  which  was  evacuated  and  blown  up, 
and  later  shelled  Fort  Gaines,  compelling  its  surrender 
with  the  entire  garrison.  For  his  conspicuous  gallantry 
here  he  was  specially  commended  by  Admiral  Farragut, 
who  said  of  him  "No  braver  man  ever  trod1  the  deck  of  a 
ship." 

By  this  battle  imperishable  fame  came  to  the  subject  of 
this  sketch  at  the  early  age  of  28  years;  and  the  remain- 
der of  his  career  measured  up  to  the  standard  of  his  early 
achievements. 


355 


WILLIAM  R.  CLOUGH. 

New  Hampshire  genius  and  enterprise  are  well  rep- 
resented by  William  Rockwell  Clough  of  Alton,  who 
was  born  in  that  town  November  8,  1844.  His  father 
was  a  well-established  business  man  in  the  city  of  Man- 
chester who  later  purchased  a  farm  in  his  native  town 
of  Alton,  where  his  two  sons  were  born,  both  of  whom 
still  live  upon  the  paternal  acres. 

Rockwell,  the  subject  of  this  sketch,  attended  the  pub- 
lic schools  of  his  native  town,  supplementing  the  advan- 
tages there  enjoyed  by  courses  at  the  Gilmanton  schools 
and  at  Franklin  Academy,  Dover.  Leaving  the  farm 
at  the  age  of  17,  he  went  to  Massachusetts,  where, 
in  1862,  he  enlisted  in  the  5oth  regiment  of  Massachu- 
setts volunteers  and  followed  the  flag  faithfully  until  the 
return  of  the  regiment.  He  participated  in  the  siege  and 
assault  at  Port  Hudson,  and  has  the  distinction  of  having 
been  under  fire  continuously  for  six  weeks.  After  being 
mustered  out  he  found  employment  as  a  book-keeper  at 
Cambridgqx>rt,  having  previously  taken  a  course  in  com- 
mercial training  at  the  Eastman  College,  Poughkeepsie, 
New  York,  and  from  there  entered  flie  employ  of  the 
United  States  Government  as  an  experi  accountant  in  the 
department  of  internal  revenue  at  Boston.  Here  he  re- 
mained for  two  years.  Being  of  a  mechanical  turn  of 
mind  he  became  accidentally  attracted  to  the  methods  in 
vogue  for  making  corkscrews  and  other  wire 
goods,  and  soon  hit  upon  a  device  which 

356 


WILLIAM  R.  CLOUGH 


STATE  BUILDERS 

materially  improved  all  existing  machinery  for 
that  purpose.  In  all  he  has  taken  out  some  thirty 
patents.  He  was  not  able  at  once  to  develop  his  inven- 
tion but  the  merit  of  his  device  made  its  way,  though 
slowly  at  first,  until  now  he  has  established  in  his  native 
town  one  of  the  largest  concerns  of  the  kind  in  the 
world,  thoroughly  equipped  with  machinery  of  his  own 
invention  and  of  a  nature  so  productive  that  one  machine 
will  do  the  work  of  twenty  men.  His  machines  have 
been  widely  introduced  both  in  France  and  England, 
and  he  has  travelled  extensively  in  the  old  country  in 
the  interests  of  his  patents.  As  an  exhibitor  at  the 
various  industrial  expositions  held  both  here  and  in  the 
old  world,  he  has  been  uniformly  successful.  At  the 
Centennial  Exposition  in  Philadelphia  he  received  two 
premiums.  He  was  also  a  prize  winner  at  the  Paris 
Expositions  of  1878,  1889  and  1900,  and  he  has  awards 
from  the  World's  Columbian  Exposition  in  Chicago  in 
1893,  and  from  the  Cotton  States  Exposition  at  Atlanta 
in  1895.  At  the  Atlanta  Exposition  he  was  chosen 
president  of  the  Exhibitors'  association. 

Mr.  Clough  has  retained  the  sole  ownership 
of  his  business,  and  its  development  and  prosperity  are 
due  to  him  as  well  as  its  inception  in  the  patenting  of 
its  fundamental  device,  being  materially  assisted  by  his 
employees,  also  Alton  men. 

Mr.  Clough  was  a  member  of  the  New  Hampshire 
legislature  in  1897  and  1899,  where  he  served  as  chair- 
man of  the  committee  on  national  affairs  for  both  terms, 
and  where  as  a  forceful  and  earnest  speaker  he  made  his 
mark  as  a  member  of  influence  and  integrity. 


357 


EDWARD  HAMLIN  CLOUGH. 

Edward  Hamlin  Clough  was  born  in  Meredith,  May 
2,  1860,  the  son  of  John  K.  and  Ellen  Libbey  Clough. 
He  is  a  descendant  on  the  paternal  side  of  Oliver  Clough, 
a  Scotchman  and  a  soldier  in  the  Revolutionary  war 
in  Col.  Alexander  Scammeirs  3d  New  Hampshire  regi- 
inent,  and  on  the  maternal  side  of  John  Libbey,  an  Eng- 
lishman who  settled  at  what  is  known  as  Portland, 
Maine,  in  1630. 

He  was  educated  in  the  schools  of  his  native  town  and 
remained  at  home  until  August,  1880,  when  he  went  to 
Manchester  and  entered  the  employ  of  Clough  &  Towle, 
wholesale  provision  dealers,  as  book-keeper.  Four  years 
later  he  was  admitted  to  partnership  with  George  S. 
Clough,  and  the  business  was  conducted  under  the  firm 
name  of  Clough  &  company.  In  eight  years  the  firm 
built  up  an  extensive  business,  reaching  all  important 
points  in  northern  New  Hampshire.  The  firm  was  con- 
tinued until  1891,  when  Clough  &  company  disposed  of 
their  business  to  Swift  &  company.  Mr.  Clough  ac- 
cepted a  position  with  Swift  &  company  as  salesman  and 
continued  with  the  corporation  up  to  the  time  of  his 
assuming  the  duties  of  postmaster. 

Mr.  Clough  is  the  youngest  of  a  family  of  seven  boys, 
and  the  patriotism  of  the  family  was  shown  at  the  out- 
break of  the  Civil  war,  when  three  of  his  brothers  vol- 
unteered and  saw  arduous  and  gallant  service:  Wil- 
liam O.  Clough,  Nashua,  Editor  of  the  Nashua  Daily 

358 


EDWARD  H.  CLOUGH, 

Postmaster,  Manchester, 


STATE  BUILDERS 

Press;  John  F.  Clough,  Manchester,  Hiilsboro  County 
Commissioner;  Henry  B.  Clough,  Manchester;  George 
S.  and  Charles  B.  Clough,  soldiers  in  the  I2th  New 
Hampshire  Regiment,  with  John  F..  deceased,  and 
Frank  E.  Clough  of  Meredith. 

In  fraternal  circles  he  is  well  and  favorably  known, 
being  a  member  of  the  Lafayette  lodge  of  A.  F.  and 
A.  M. ;  Passaconaway  Tribe  of  Red  Men,  and  Queen 
City  lodge,  K.  of  P.  He  is  also  a  member  oi  the  Amos- 
keag  Veterans. 

Postmaster  Clough,  who  was  recommended  by  the 
Hon.  Henry  E.  Burnham,  U.  S.  Senator,  June  3,  1902, 
for  postmaster  of  Manchester,  was  promptly  named  by 
President  Roosevelt  and  confirmed  by  the  Senate.  He 
•assumed  the  duties  and  position  July  i,  1902,  of  the 
largest  postoffice  of  the  state,  also  four  stations  con- 
nected with  this  office,  and  has  the  direction  o>f  a  force 
consisting  of  nineteen  clerks  (the  assistant  postmaster 
rating  in  the  department  as  one),  one  substitute  clerk, 
thirty-two  carriers  and  ten  substitute  carriers,  seven 
rural  carriers  and  seven  substitute  rural  carriers  and  the 
janitor  force  of  three. 

Mr.  Clough  married  Miss  Etta  P.  Prouty  of  Spencer, 
Mass.,  June  14,  1884,  and  the  fruit  of  their  union  has 
been  four  children,  two  boys  and  two  girls : — Frank  E., 
Elsie  M.,  William  O.  and  Julia  Marion  Clough. 


359 


AUGUSTUS  H.  STARK. 

All  New  Hampshire,  and  especially  the  city  of  Man- 
chester, honors  and  holds  in  perpetual  remembrance  the 
name  of  Gen.  John  Stark,  the  hero  of  Bunker  Hill  and 
the  conqueror  at  Bennington,  where  by  a  consummate 
generalship  he  put  to  flight  the  royal  forces  under  Baum 
and  so  crippled  the  main  advance  of  Burgoyne's  army 
as  to  seal  the  fate  of  the  entire  command  then  and  there. 
The  outcome  of  the  conflicts  on  September  19,  and  Oc- 
tober 7,  1777,  was  made  certain  by  the  blow  struck  by 
Stark  at  Bennington  and  the  grandest  result  of  all  was 
the  practical  assurance  from  that  glorious  day  of  the 
ultimate  triumph  of  the  cause  of  the  colonies. 

General  Stark  left  a  family  representative  of  his  day 
and  times,  and  like  the  provident  parent  he  was,  gave  each 
of  his  children  a  start  in  life  by  bequeathing  to  each  a 
generous  slice  of  the  realty  that  he  had  accumulated  in  his 
active  and  well  spent  life  of  ninety-four  years.  From 
the  day  that  General  Stark  made  what  is  now  Manchester 
his  home  that  community  has  never  been  without  its 
families  of  Starks,  and  throughout  the  generations  they 
have  been  closely  and  most  honorably  associated  with 
its  growth  and  upbuilding. 

In  the  fourth  generation  from  General  Stark  was  Au- 
gustus H.  Stark,  in  whose  personality  there  survived 
many  characteristics  of  the  General,  and  particularly  so  in 
his  versatility  and  love  of  nature  and  those  influences  of 
the  home. 

360 


AUGUSTUS  H.  STARK 


STATE  BUILDERS 

The  father  of  Augustus  H.  was  John,  grandson  of 
the  General  and  third  to  bear  the  name.  He  married 
Sarah  Fletcher  Pollard. 

Augustus  H.  Stark  was  born  in  Manchester,  Novem- 
ber 6,  1834,  and  died  in  his  native  city  August  8,  1902. 
After  completing  the  several  grades  of  the  common 
schools  he  entered  upon  an  apprenticeship  to  the  carriage 
painter's  trade,  and  at  this  and  as  a  dealer  in  carriages  he 
continued  until  1882,  when  he  returned  to  his  native  city 
from  Boston,  which  city  and  its  adjacent  communities 
had  been  his  home  for  some  years  preceding. 

His  father  having  died  he  inherited  a  large  tract  of 
land  originally  owned  and  tilled  by  General  Stark  and  lo- 
cated in  what  is  the  beautiful  North  End  of  Manchester, 
the  finest  residential  portion  of  the  city.  To  the  care 
and  improvement  of  this  realty  he  devoted  most  of  his 
time  after  his  return  to  the  city.  Upon  a  site  overlook- 
ing the  immediate  valley  of  the  Merrimac  River  and 
commanding  a  view  of  incomparable  loveliness,  he  built 
one  of  the  most  beautiful  residences  in  Manchester.  On 
the  opposite  side  of  the  highway  from  the  front  of  the 
residence  was  the  land  now  included  in  Stark  Park. 
Later  he  and  a  sister  gave  a  portion  of  this  tract  to  the 
city  of  Manchester,  while  another  section  was  bought 
by  the  city  and  the  whole  set  aside  for  a  public  ground. 
Within  this  enclosure  was  the  Stark  family  burial 
ground,  first  set  apart  for  that  purpose  by  General  Stark 
and  where  he  was  finally  buried.  To  the  beautifying  of 
this  cemetery  Mr.  Stark  gave  liberally  of  his  means  and 
time,  and  upon  his  own  death  it  became  the  place  of  his 
sepulchre. 

Mr.  Stark  was  twice  married.  His  first  wife  was 
Isabelle  Buck  of  Randolph,  Mass.  His  second  wife  was 
Edith  Frances  Furbish,  daughter  of  Henry  D.  and  Sarah 
P.  (Littlefield)  Furbish  of  Skowhegan,  Maine,  whom  he 

361 


STATE  BUILDERS 

married  December  17,  1881.  Mrs.  Stark  yet  lives  in 
the  family  homestead  which  she  maintains  in  most  ex- 
cellent and  pleasing  taste.  Upon  its  walls  are  hung 
various  oil  paintings,  the  creations  of  her  husband,  who 
displayed  a  tact  and  ability  with  the  brush  that  were 
more  than  ordinary  in  their  scope.  Mrs.  Stark  is  also 
the  fortunate  possessor  of  many  household  articles  that 
•were  once  owned  by  General  Stark. 


362 


FREDERICK  W.  BORING 


FREDERICK  W.  DORING. 

Frederick  W.  Doring,  principal  of  the  Concord  high 
school,  is  a  native  of  Perry,  Me.  He  fitted  for  college 
at  the  Boynton  high  school,  Eastport,  Me.,  where  he  was 
graduated  with  valedictory  honors  in  I  he  class  of  1879. 
A  four  years'  course  at  Dartmouth  college  immediately 
followed,  and  in  1883  Mr.  Doring  received  his  diploma 
and  degree  from  that  splendid  New  Hampshire  institu- 
tion. At  Hanover  he  ranked  as  one  of  the  best  scholars 
in  his  class,  being  a  member  of  Phi  Beta  Kappa  and 
receiving  the  honor  of  an  English  oration  in  the  com- 
mencement exercises. 

During  the  year  following  his  graduation  Mr.  Doring 
was  principal  of  the  Brooks  school  at  Eastport,  Me. 
From  there  he  went  to  Newmarket,  N.  H.,  where  he 
labored  successfully  for  four  years  as  principal  of  the 
high  school.  Farmington,  N.  H.,  next  called  him  to 
its  high  school,  and  there  he  remained  five  years.  In 
1893  he  went  to  Woonsocket,  R.  I.,  as  principal  of 
the  city  high  school,  one  of  the  largest  public  schools 
in  the  state  and  one  which,  under  his  direction,  advanced 
to  the  very  front  rank  in  New  England  educational 
prestige. 

Coincident  with  this  steady  rise  to  the  top  of  the 
ladder  in  his  profession,  and  doubtless  a  partial  explana- 
tion of  his  success,  Mr.  Doring  has  done  an  unusually 
large  amount  of  graduate  work;  studying  chemistry  at 
Dartmouth,  psychology  and  pedagogy  at  Clark  Univer- 

363 


STATE  BUILDERS 

sity,  chemistry,  physics  and  history  at  Harvard,  and 
history  at  Brown  University. 

Both  in  New  Hampshire  and  in  Rhode  Island 
Mr.  Boring  has  been  a  leader  among  his  associates 
in  educational  work  and  has  been  much  in  demand  as 
a  speaker  at  teachers'  institutes.  He  served  in  1899 
as  president  of  the  Rhode  Island  Institute  of  Instruction 
and  as  president  of  the  Woonsocket  teachers'  associa- 
tion. Since  his  return  to  New  Hampshire  he  has  been 
prominent  in  the  State  teachers'  association  and  has 
been  instrumental  in  the  organization  of  an  association 
of  high  school  principals,  of  which  he  has  been  elected 
secretary. 

He  is  also  a  member  of  the  Barnard  club  (the  school- 
masters' club  of  Rhode  Island),  the  Massachusetts  high 
school  masters'  club,  the  New  England  history  teachers' 
association,  and  the  Harvard  teachers'  association. 

Mr.  Doring  is  married  and  has  one  child,  a  daughter. 
He  is  a  Mason  and  a  Knight  Templar,  and  attends  the 
Universalist  church. 

He  always  allies  himself  actively  with  the  best 
interests  of  the  community  in  which  he  resides  and  as  a 
citizen  as  well  as  an  educator  counts  materially  on 
the  right  side  in  whatever  affects  the  municipal  life. 


364 


WILLIAM  H.   ROLLINS 


WILLIAM  H.  ROLLINS. 

One  of  the  most  venerable  and  highly  esteemed  citi- 
zens of  Portsmouth,  and  of  New  Hampshire  for  that 
matter,  is  William  H.  Rollins^  who  in  this  year  of  1903 
is  an  octogenarian,  but  as  well  preserved  a  man,  in  as  good 
health,  as  buoyant  in  spirit,  and  with  as  clear  an  intellect 
as  most  men  a  decade  or  more  his  junior  in  years. 

He  was  born  in  Portsmouth  September  7,  1822.  His 
father  belonged  to  that  ancestral  family  from  which  the 
town  of  Rollinsford  took  its  name,  and  was  born  there 
in  1790.  In  1813  the  senior  Mr.  Rollins  removed  to 
Portsmouth  and  made  it  his  home  ever  after,  as  his  son, 
William  H.,  has  all  of  his,  having  lived  sinc.e  nine  years 
of  age  in  his  present  residence. 

His  father  was  a  prosperous  merchant  and  closely 
identified  with  the  progress  of  Portsmouth  for  many 
year's.  As  was  natural,  the  son^  'has  maintained  his 
father's  interest  in  the  city  and  has  been  favored  by  it 
with  many  offices  of  trust  and  responsibility.  His  moth- 
er was  Mary  A.  Hooker,  and  to  his  parents  were  born 
two  other  sons  and  two  daughters,  both  of  the  latter 
dying  within  five  years  of  birth. 

Early  deciding  upon  a  professional  career,  the  son, 
William  H.,  after  a  most  thorough  preparatory  course, 
entered  Harvard  University  and  completed  the  pre- 
scribed course  and  upon  graduation  he  at  once  entered 
upon  the  study  of  law.  Obtaining  admission  to  the  bar  of 
New  Hampshire  he  began  practice  in  his  native  city  in 

365 


STATE  BUILDERS 

1844.  Active,  energetic,  courageous,  and  public  spirited 
the  young  practitioner  soon  attained  to  positions  of  honor 
and  responsibility.  He  became  the  president  of  the 
Portsmouth  savings  bank  and  retained  the  position  until 
his  resignation  in  1894.  For  full  thirty  years  he  was  a 
director  of  the  National  Merchants  and  Traders  bank  of 
Portsmouth. 

From  1850  to  1869  he  held  the  dual  offices  of  secretary 
and  treasurer  of  the  Portsmouth  Atheneum,  and  again 
from  1894  to  1903  he  held  the  same  positions.  He  was 
also,  in  the  '703,  president  of  the  same  corporation  for 
some  four  or  five  years.  For  nine  years  he  was  a  mem- 
ber of  the  school  committee  in  his  home  city,  and  has 
likewise  served  as  a  member  of  the  state  legislature 

He  was  married  in  Portsmouth,  January  2,  1879,  to 
Miss  Elizabeth  Ball.  That  there  may  yet  be  in  store  for 
him  many  happy  and  useful  years  is  the  wish  of  all  in  hi.? 
native  Portsmouth. 


366 


M.  E.  KEAN,  M.D. 


M.  E.  KEAN,  M.  D. 

In  the  personality  and  characteristics  of  M.  E.  Kean, 
M.  D.,  the  student  of  human  nature  finds  a  delightful 
study  which  deepens  in  interest  and  pleasure  the  longer 
it  is  followed  and  considered.  His  is  a  genial  and  sunny 
disposition  and  an  unvarying  nature  as  to  natural  moods. 
At  the  same  time  he  never  borders  upon  the  frivolous, 
but  is,  on  the  contrary,  the  soul  of  sincerity  and  reality. 
It  is  his  rare  good  fortune  to  adapt  himself  to  the  ever- 
changing  conditions  and  circumstances  of  life,  and  in  the 
possession  of  this  happy  faculty  is  doubtless  due,  in  large 
measure,  his  brilliant  professional  and  general  success 
in  life. 

The  parents  of  Dr.  Kean  were  Michael  and  Mary 
(Nicholson)  Kean.  Both  were  natives  of  Ireland,  but 
both  emigrated  to  America  in  their  childhood  years  and 
settled  in  Manchester,  which  city  has  remained  to  the 
present  (1903)  their  home.  The  senior  Kean  became  an 
esteemed  citizen  of  his  adopted  city,  and  in  his  younger 
days  was  extensively  engaged  in  the  team  work  con- 
nected with  the  construction  of  various  among  the 
mills  of  Manchester.  It  was  while  he  had  a  temporary 
residence  in  Bedford,  across  the  river  from  Manchester, 
that  his  son,  the  subject  of  this  sketch,  was  born,  on 
June  28,  1863.  The  school  life  of  the  son  was  passed 
in  the  Park  Street  school,  Thomas  Corcoran,  principal, 
and  was  supplemented  by  a  course  in  the  commercial 
school  of  William  H.  Heron.  Leaving  school  he  next 

367 


STATE  BUILDERS 

entered  upon  an  apprenticeship  to  the  machinist's  trade, 
and  ere  long  he  was  combining  with  this  studies  in  me- 
chanical engineering,  for  his  whole  manifest  predilection 
was  to  mechanics,  and  if  it  be  true,  as  is  often  asserted, 
that  to  be  a  good  physician  or  surgeon  one  must  have  a 
native  bent  for  mechanics,  it  was  but  natural  that  young 
Kean  should  drift  into  the  study  of  physics  and  surgery, 
and  this  he  did. 

At  first  his  professional  studies  were  under  the 
private  tutorage  of  the  late  George  C.  Hoitt,  M.  D.,  of 
Manchester.  From  his  private  studies  he  entered  the 
medical  school  of  Dartmouth  College,  where  his  scholar- 
ship and  innate  aptitude  soon  placed  him  at  the  head  of 
his  class,  a  position  he  maintained  to  the  end,  for  he 
was  valedictorian  of  his  class  upon  graduation  in 
November,  1888. 

Since  obtaining  his  diploma  he  has  served  as  house 
surgeon  of  the  famed  Carney  Hospital  in  Boston,  Mass., 
and  is  an  ex-president  of  the  alumni  association  of  that 
institution. 

Locating  in  Manchester  he  has  from  the  beginning 
achieved  a  most  flattering  success,  and  is  not  only 
esteemed  for  his  ability  as  a  physician  and  surgeon,  but 
for  those  qualities  that  go  to  make  the  genuine  man. 

He  is  a  member  of  the  Massachusetts  state  medical 
society,  the  New  Hampshire  state  medical  society,  and 
of  the  Manchester  medical  society,  of  which  last  he  is  a 
former  president.  Since  the  institution  of  the  Sacred 
Heart  Hospital,  Manchester,  which  was  in  1893,  Dr. 
Kean  has  served  as  a  member  of  the  staff  of  surgeons, 
has  officiated  as  secretary  of  the  staff,  and  at  present  is 
the  senior  surgeon  of  the  hospital.  In  1891  he  married 
Miss  Elizabeth  E.  Ward  of  West  Lebanon,  and  they  have 
one  child,  Ruth  Elizabeth  Arnoldine. 


368 


IRA  JOSLIN  PROUTY,  M.D. 


IRA  JOSLIN  PROUTY,  M.  D. 

Ira  Joslin  Prouty,  M.  D.,  Keene,  N.  H.  Son  of  Dr. 
Ira  French  and  Elsie  Joslin  Prouty,  was  born  August  15, 
1857,  at  Ogdensburgh,  N.  Y.  Received  his  education  in 
the  public  schools  of  Keene,  graduating  from  the  high 
school  in  1875.  Following  this  he  took  a  special  course  at 
the  Massachusetts  Institute  of  Technology;  entered  upon 
the  study  of  medicine,  graduating  from  the  Medical  De- 
partment of  the  University  of  New  York  in  1882. 

He  began  at  once  the  practice  of  his  profession  in 
Keene.  Since  his  graduation  he  has  done  postgraduate 
work  at  Johns  Hopkins  hospital  at  Baltimore  and  in  the 
hospitals  of  Boston  and  New  York.  He  spent  the  years 
1893-4  with  some  of  the  leading  surgeons  and  at  the 
surgical  centres  of  Great  Britain  and  on  the  continent. 

He  is  a  member  of  the  American  medical  association, 
being  a  member  of  the  House  of  Delegates  1902-1903.. 
Member  of  the  New  Hampshire  medical  society ;  Ex- 
President  of  the  New  Hampshire  surgical  society;  Ex- 
President  of  the  Connecticut  valley  medical  association 
and  the  Cheshire  county  medical  society  and  also-  Keene 
natural  history  society.  Was  a  member  of  the  Board  of 
education  1883-1889;  city  physician  1884-1886;  board  of 
health  1884-1885,  a  member  of  the  original  staff  of  the 
Elliott  city  hospital,  1892,  and  of  the  first  board  of 
trustees. 

Has  contributed  to  medical  journals  and  presented  a 
number  of  papers  before  the  various  medical  societies, 
mostly  upon  surgical  topics. 

In  1882  he  married  Marietta,  eldest  daughter  of  John 
Humphrey  of  Keene,  who^  died  in  1894  leaving  one  son, 
Ira  Humphrey  Prouty. 

369 


WILLIAM  H.  NUTE,  M.  D. 

William  H.  Nute,  M.  D.,  of  Exeter,  was  born  in  Farm- 
ington  May  8,  1858,  the  son  of  Charles  W.  and  Mary  L. 
(Richardson)  Nute.  He  was  graduated  from  the  .high 
school  of  his  native  town  and  pursued  his  studies  at  the 
New  Hampton  institution,  going  for  his  professional 
training  to  Bellevue,  New  York  city,  and  the  Bow- 
doin  Medical  school,  Brunswick,  Me.,  where  he 
received  the  degree  of  Doctor  of  Medicine  in  1881. 
He  immediately  entered  upon  the  practice  of  his 
profession  in  his  native  town,  and  remained  there  until 
1891,  when  despite  the  marked  success  which  had  fol- 
lowed him  in  Farmington  he  determined  to  make  the 
hazard  of  new  fortunes  and  removed  to  Exeter.  In  his 
new  location  Dr.  Nute  was  equally  prosperous  and  suc- 
cessful, and  he  almost  immediately  entered  upon  a  prac- 
tice which  has  now  grown  to  be  one  of  the  largest  in 
central  Rockingham  county. 

Dr.  Nute  was  one  of  the  first  to  recognize  Exeter's 
need  of  hospital  accommodations,  and  largely  through 
his  efforts  the  Exeter  cottage  hospital  was  established  to 
which  he  gives  a  large  measure  of  his  time. 

Dr.  Nute  keeps  thoroughly  abreast  with  all  the  prog- 
ress of  his  profession,  and  annually  spends  a  large  amount 
of  time  in  the  hospitals  of  Boston  perfecting  himself  in  all 
the  latest  discoveries  of  modern  medical  science.  In  addi- 
tion to  the  exacting  cares  of  a  large  general  practice, 
Dr.  Nute  is  a  medical  examiner  for  the  Ancient  Order  of 

37o 


\ 


WILLIAM  H.   NUTE,  M.D. 


STATE  BUILDERS 

United  Workmen,  as  well  as  for  all  the  leading  insurance 
companies  which  do  business  in  his  section.  He  is  presi- 
dent of  the  Strafford  district  medical  society,  Fellow  of 
the  American  Medical  association,  member  of  the  New 
Hampshire  Surgical  club,  and  of  the  New  Hampshire 
Medical  society.  He  has  been  prominent  also  in  various 
secret  fraternities  and  is  a  33d  degree  Mason,  having 
served  as  master  of  his  lodge  and  past  district  deputy 
grand  master.  He  has  also  passed  the  chairs  in  the  Odd- 
Fellows  and  is  a  member  of  the  Knights  of  Pythias.  He 
is  Past  Sachem  of  the  Improved  Order  of  Red  Men,  this 
being  the  highest  office  in  the  gift  of  the  order  in  the 
state.  He  is  also  a  member  of  the  Foresters  of  America. 
Dr.  Nute  married  Miss  Lucy  Read,  a  daughter  of  one 
of  the  oldest  and  best  known  families  in  Exeter,  and  has 
one  son,  Norwood  Read.  He  is  a  Republican  in  poli- 
tics, a  member  of  the  Board  of  Health  of  Exeter,  and 
attends  the  Unitarian  church. 


371 


F.  S.  TOWLE,  M.  D. 

In  the  very  front  rank  of  the  young  medical  men  of  the 
state  is  F.  S.  Towle,  M.  D.,  of  Portsmouth,  who  was 
born  in  the  city  of  Boston,  December  28,  1863,  but  who 
is  rightfully  considered  as  belonging  to  New  Hampshire, 
because  he  has  given  her  nearly  a  decade  out  of  the  best 
part  of  his  life.  He  was  educated  in  the  schools  of  his 
native  city,  but  was  not  satisfied  with  this  equipment  for 
life  and  determined  to  become  a  professional  man.  At 
the  Columbia  Medical  college  he  worked  his  way  through, 
graduating  with  credit  and  receiving  the  degree  of  Doctor 
of  Medicine.  Later  he  took  a  post-graduate  course, 
thereby  perfecting  and  extending  his  knowledge  along 
certain  important  lines. 

His  first  location  for  the  practice  of  his  profession  was 
in  Boston,  but  in  1894  he  removed  to  Portsmouth,  where 
he  has  since  been  located,  having  established  a  large  prac- 
tice and  a  splendid  reputation  for  knowledge,  skill  and 
competence.  One  evidence  of  this  is  the  frequency  with 
which  he  is  called  into  consultation  by  his  fellow  physi- 
cians in  cases  of  unusual  gravity  and  difficulty. 

Doctor  Towle  is  a  member  of  the  American  medical 
association;  of  the  New  Hampshire  state  medical  society; 
of  the  Strafford  medical  association;  of  the  Rockingham 
county  association;  of  the  Portsmouth  medical  associa- 
tion ;  and  is  a  fellow  of  the  American  electro-therapeutics. 

Of  a  social  disposition  and  deservedly  popular  and 
prominent  in  fraternal  circles,  Dr.  Towle  is  a  member  of 

372 


F.  S.  TOWLE,  M.D. 


STATE  BUILDERS 

the  Knights  Templar,  of  the  I.  O.  O.  F.,  of  the  Knights 
of  Pythias,  and  other  organizations.  He  is  a  Republican 
in  politics  and  has  served  his  city  efficiently  as  chairman 
of  the  board  of  health  and  as  member  of  the  school  board. 
He  has  also  been  honored  by  appointment  as  surgeon- 
general  on  the  staff  of  the  governor  of  the  state. 

He  married  Miss  Martha  H.  Perry  of  Boston,  Mass., 
and  they  have  one  son,  a  student  in  the  Portsmouth  High 
school. 


373 


E.  L.  CLICK. 

E.  L.  Click,  proprietor  and  principal  of  the  National 
School  of  Business,  Concord,  New  Hampshire,  is  a  native 
of  Michigan,  and  was  born  in  1867.  At  the  completion 
of  his  school  days  he  became  a  teacher  in  his  native  state, 
holding  positions  in  the  cities  of  Grand  Rapids  and  De- 
troit. Being  attracted  to  the  study  of  stenography  Mr. 
Click  perfected  himself  in  this  branch  and  became  a  court 
reporter,  discharging  his  duties  with  signal  ability  in  the 
two  cities  named  above  until  his  removal  after  several 
years  to  Cleveland,  Ohio,  where  he  became  a  teacher  in 
a  large  business  college.  From  Cleveland  Mr.  Click  made 
his  way  east  and  settled  in  Lowell,  where  he  was  engaged 
in  teaching  commercial  science  for  several  years.  In 
1898,  he  came  to  Concord,  where  he  purchased  and  con- 
solidated two  small  struggling  business  colleges  then  ex- 
isting in  the  city,  and  upon  this  basis  has  built  up  in  the 
National  "School  of  Business  one  of  the  largest  and  most 
successful  of  commercial  colleges  in  the  East.  Mr.  Click's 
students  come  from  nearly  all  of  the  Eastern  states  and 
his  roll  of  pupils  now  numbers  more  than  one  hundred. 
The  school  is  finely  located  in  one  of  the  principal  busi- 
ness blocks  in  Concord,  occupying  an  entire  floor,  which 
is  specially  equipped  with  apparatus  designed  to  give  an 
insight  into  all  branches  of  commercial  knowledge.  Ac- 
tual business  from  the  start  is  the  watchword  of  Mr. 
Click's  school,  and  his  pupils  are  favored  from  the  begin- 
ning of  their  studies  with  an  opportunity  to  learn  by 

374 


I 


E.  L.  CLICK 


STATE  BUILDERS 

practice  the  actual  procedure  of  modern  commercial  life. 

In  addition  to  the  training  of  clerks,  accountants  and 
stenographers  common  to*  most  commercial  colleges,  the 
National  School  of  Business  is  especially  equipped  for  the 
training  of  teachers  for  business  colleges,  and  in  this  line 
its  success  has  been  very  marked.  Many  of  Mr.  Click's 
pupils  have  gone  from  his  school  to  lucrative  positions  in 
other  business  colleges  where  by  the  introduction  of  the 
methods  which  have  made  the  National  School  of  Busi- 
ness so  successful  they  have  carried  on  the  good  work  in 
sending  out  thoroughly  trained  and  practised  students  for 
the  manifold  duties  growing  out  of  the  varying  and  ex- 
acting commercial  life  of  to-day. 

Mr.  Click  in  addition  to  being  thoroughly  familiar  with 
all  the  branches  forming  the  curriculum  of  the  school  and 
thus  being  enabled  to  have  a  close  and  practical  oversight 
of  all  the  work  done  in  the  school,  is  a  penman  of  re- 
markable versatility  and  skill.  The  pages  of  the  National 
Penman,  the  recognized  organ  of  penmanship  in  America, 
have  been  adorned  in  successive  numbers  for  many  years 
with  reproductions  of  Mr.  Click's  work,  both  in  handwrit- 
ing and  the  more  ornate  branches  of  penmanship,  and 
many  of  the  prizes  offered  by  that  journal  for  the  finest 
work  in  penmanship  have  fallen  into  Mr.  Click's  hands  as 
a  result  of  the  competitions  thus  set  on  foot. 


375 


HENRY  DeWO'LFE  CARVELLE,  M.  D. 

Henry  DeWolfe  Carvelle,  M.  D.,  was  born  in  Rich- 
mond, N.  B.,  May  26,  1852,  the  son  of  James  Sherard 
and  Elizabeth  (Porter)  Carvelle.  His  mother  was  of 
Scotch  birth,  her  ancestors  being  neighbors  of  the  im- 
mortal Bobbie  Burns,  and  his  father  was  of  English 
descent,  tracing  his  ancestry  to  the  time  of  William  the 
Conqueror.  His  great-grandfather  fought  in  the  War  of 
the  Revolution  on  the  British  side. 

After  attending  the  schools  of  his  native  town 
Dr.  Carvelle  entered,  in  1873,  the  Boston  Eye  and 
Ear  infirmary  as  a  medical  attendant.  There  he 
remained  two  years  and  during  the  second  year  pur- 
sued studies  under  the  guidance  of  Dr.  Albert  N. 
Blodgett,  superintendent  of  the  institution.  In  1875  he 
entered  the  Harvard  Medical  school,  graduating  in  1878. 
During  his  last  year  there  he  assisted  for  a  month 
in  the  practice  of  Dr.  Edward  \Valdo  Emerson,  residing 
at  the  house  of  Dr.  Emerson's  father,  the  distinguished 
Ralph  Waldo  Emerson,  where  his  associations  were  ex- 
ceedingly delightful. 

After  graduation  from  college  Dr.  Carvelle  resided  in 
Boston  for  a  short  time  and  then  removed  to  Manches- 
ter. There  he  continued  in  general  practice  until  1884. 
since  which  date  he  has  devoted  himself  to  the  treatment 
of  the  eye  and  ear.  As  a  specialist  in  diseases  of  these 
organs  he  ranks  high,  being  the  first  ophthalmic  and  aural 
surgeon  in  New  Hampshire  and  frequently  called  to  all 
parts  of  the  state  on  difficult  cases. 

376 


HENRY  DEWOLFE  CARVELLE,  M.I). 


STATE  BUILDERS 

He  has  taken  various  special  courses  in  the  line  of  his 
special  work  in  New  York  and  in  1887  he  went  abroad 
for  further  study,  spending  several  months  in  the  Royal 
London  Ophthalmic  hospital  and  in  the  eye  and  ear 
clinics  of  Paris.  He  is  a  member  of  the  New  Hamp- 
shire Medical  society,  the  Manchester  Medical  association, 
censor  of  the  Medico-Chirurgical  college  of  Phila- 
delphia, honorary  member  of  the  I.  Webster  Fox 
Ophthalmological  society  of  Philadelphia,  of  the  ophthal- 
rnological  section  of  the  American  Medical  association 
and  of  the  Pan-American  Medical  congress  at  Havana, 
Cuba,  Feb.  iqoi.  He  is  ophthalmic  and  aural  surgeon  of 
the  Elliot  hospital. 

Dr.  Carvelle  is  an  Episcopalian,  but  attends  the  Frank- 
lin Street  Congregational  church.  On  May  5, 
1893,  he  married  Anna  Brewster  Sullivan,  daughter  of 
John  and  Arinna  (Whittemore)  Sullivan  of  Suncook,  a 
grand-daughter  of  the  late  Hon.  Aaron  Whittemore  of 
Pembroke.  They  have  one  daughter,  Euphrosyne 
Parepa,  born  May  15.  1894. 


377 


EMIL  CUSTER,  M.  D. 

Dr.  Custer  practised  medicine  for  nearly  half  a 
century  in  Manchester,  N.  H.,  and  died  the  oldest  practi- 
tioner in  the  city.  He  was  born  in  Frankfurt  a-m 
(am  Main),  Germany,  June  12,  1820.  His  father  was 
a  native  of  Switzerland,  his  mother  of  Germany. 

His  parents  removed  to  Altstatten,  canton  St.  Gallen, 
Switzerland,  when  he  was  four  years  of  age.  There  he 
received  his  primary  education;  he  attended  the  Latin 
School  and  Gymnasium  of  Aarau  and  St.  Gallen,  and 
spent  seven  years  at  the  Universities  of  Zurich,  Freiburg, 
Wurzburg  and  Munich.  After  completing  his  studies, 
he  married  Mrs.  Nannette  Tollmann-Spann,  a  lady  of 
fine  presence  and  amiable  disposition,  an  accomplished 
pianist,  descended  from  a  family  of  rank  and  importance 
in  Swiss  history.  In  the  fall  of  1846  Dr.  Custer  with 
his  family  came  to  America  and  after  a  short  stay  in 
Syracuse,  N.  Y.,  settled  in  Manchester,  N.  H.,  in  1847, 
when  the  city  was  in  its  infancy. 

Dr.  Custer  possessed  a  fine  classical  education  and 
high  literary  attainments  with  a  refined  poetic  mind.  He 
gradually  built  up  an  extensive  practice  in  the  city  and 
surrounding  country.  He  was  most  popular,  a  man  of 
strictest  integrity,  full  of  conscientious  endeavor  for  his 
fellowmen;  beloved  and  respected  by  all  who  knew  him. 
He  combined  the  skill  with  which  he  ministered  to  the 
sick  and  afflicted,  with  a  cheerfulness  which  brought  sun- 
shine to  many  a  discouraged  soul,  and  delighted  heavy 
hearts  by  his  unlimited  fund  of  wit  and  humor. 

378 


EMIL  CUSTER,  M.I). 


STATE  BUILDERS 

He  was  a  large  hearted  genial  man,  whose  word  was 
as  good  as  his  bond,  and  in  his  professional  attendance 
he  made  no  difference  between  rich  or  poor.  He  was 
progressive  in  his  ideas.  Although  a  thoroughly  educated 
allopathic  physician  he  investigated  the  system  of  home- 
opathy, and  finding  it  superior  to  the  old  school,  he 
became  a  firm  believer  and  practiced  it  to*  the  end  of  his 
life.  He  said  jokingly,  that  his  conscience  would  not 
allow  him  to  practise  allopathy,  after  he  knew  there  was 
a  better  way  of  treatment.  In  this  he  achieved  success 
and  his  advice  and  skill  were  sought  by  many  in  the  city 
and  surrounding  country.  He  was  systematic  in  all  his 
work,  neglecting  nothing,  and  although  he  had  a  very 
large  practise,  he  found  time  for  sociability,  and  was  a 
welcome  guest  wherever  he  went. 

Dr.  Custer  was  a  most  modest  and  unassuming  man, 
and  only  his  most  intimate  friends  had  an  insight  to 
his  rich  and  fertile  mind.  To  all  others  he  was  the  able 
and  genial  physician.  He  was  fond  o<f  children.  His 
own  two  having  died  in  infancy,  he  adopted  his  wife's 
children  and  was  a  most  indulgent  parent  to  them. 

His  wife's  death  occurred  seven  years  before  his  own 
demise,  which  ended  a  most  useful  life,  May  i8th,  1896. 
He  kept  his  bright,  cheery  disposition  through  a  long 
and  trying  illness,  till  he  succumbed  to  the  inevitable. 


379 


EDWARD  L.  CUSTER,  ARTIST. 

Edward  L.  Custer  was  born  in  Basel,  Switzerland, 
January  24,  1837,  oldest  son  of  Henry  M.  and  Nannette 
Tollman- Spann.  After  his  father's  death,  his  mother 
married  Dr.  Emil  Custer,  a  man  who,  with  his  love  for 
children,  cared  for  them  as  if  his  own.  He  received  his 
primary  education  in  Switzerland  and  America,  but  his 
art  education  in  Germany.  He  was  nine  years  old  when 
his  parents  came  to  America;  overcoming  many  difficul- 
ties in  their  struggle  to  gain  a  foothold.  He  attended 
the  schools  of  Manchester,  New  Hampshire,  and  soon 
helped  to  support  himself  by  his  palette  and  brush.  His 
talent  was  early  apparent.  Some  of  his  pictures,  painted 
while  an  untaught  boy  of  fourteen  years,  are  still  pre- 
served by  the  family,  and  though  crude  are  strikingly 
natural  in  tone  and  action.  He  also  did  a  great  deal  of 
decorative  work,  and  also  taught  drawing  and  painting. 
In  1860  he  sailed  for  Europe,  and  studied  in  the  art 
school  of  Dusseldorf,  Germany,  and  after  that  became  a 
pupil  at  the  Royal  Academy  in  Munich,  Bavaria,  where 
he  studied  under  Steffan,  and  Schiess,  both  original  and 
powerful  painters  of  landscapes.  He  spent  his  summers 
in  Switzerland,  with  his  teachers,  sketching  from 
Nature,  and  after  two  years  he  returned,  and  exhibited 
a  number  of  his  paintings  in  New  York  City,  where 
they  found  ready  purchasers.  In  the  summer  his  favor- 
ite haunts  were  northern  New  Hampshire  and  Vermont, 
upon  the  Connecticut  and  its  tributaries.  His  realistic 

380 


EIMVARI)  L.  CUSTER 


STATE  BUILDERS 

studies  of  these  localities,  afterwards  wrought  into  more 
artistic  form,  were  widely  known  and  admired.  In  1864 
he  settled  in  Boston,  Mass.,  and  in  the  same  year  he 
married  Miss  Ruth  A.  Porter  of  Manchester,  N.  H.,  a 
young  lady  of  culture,  and  a  successful  teacher  in  the 
Public  Schools  of  that  city.  In  Boston,  his  talent  was 
recognized  at  once,  and  he  was  successful  from  the 
beginning.  He  painted  landscapes  and  portraits  both, 
was  especially  delighted  in  portraying  of  children.  His 
portraits  were  uniformly  good  likenesses,  for  no  man 
was  more  accurate  in  the  observation  of  traits  or 
more  faithful  in  their  reproduction.  His  landscapes 
and  animal  pictures  were  also  the  result  of  patient  and 
lo-ving  study,  and  so  were  always  characteristic  in 
detail,  as  well  as  in  general  effect,  and  show  his  ability 
was  not  confined  to  one  branch  of  art  alone.  In  1870 
he  went  abroad  again  with  his  wife  and  spent  another 
year  in  devoted  study,  and  visited  the  art  galleries  of 
Italy,  Holland,  and  Germany.  On  his  return  to  America 
his  work  began  to  exhibit  a  style  and  vigor  beyond  the 
expectations  of  his  warmest  friends. 

His  portraits  of  men  of  eminence  and  character  were 
greatly  admired,  among  which  may  be  mentioned  those 
of  Judge  Allen,  Judge  Thomas  of  Boston,  Mass.,  Judge- 
Hoar,  Judge  Bacon,  Mr.  Haven,  the  eminent  anti- 
quarian, and  Stephen  Salisbury  of  Worcester,  Mass. 
'  In  February,  1878,  he  met  with  a  great  loss,  the  death' 
of  his  beloved  wife.  The  following  summer  he  spent  in 
European  travel.  In  May,  1880,  he  married  again.  His 
death  occurred  soon  after  in  the  prime  of  life,  January 
9th,  1 88 1.  He  left  no  issue  by  either  marriage.  To  his 
friends  he  was  more  than  the  popular  and  successful 
painter;  he  was  a  man  to  be  esteemed,  a  friend  to  be 


381 


JOSHUA  OILMAN  HALL. 

County  Solicitor,  member  of  the  General  court,  State 
senator,  U.  S.  District  attorney  and  member  of  Congress, 
this  was  the  distinguished  official  record  of  the  late  Hon. 
Joshua  Oilman  Hall,  of  Dover,  who  was  born  in  Wake- 
field,  Nov.  5th,  1828,  and  died  Oct.  3ist,  1898.  Mr.  Hall 
was  a  lineal  descendant  from  John  Hall,  the  first  deacon 
in  the  first  church  at  Dover,  founded  in  1638.  He  pre- 
pared for  college  at  Gilmanton  academy,  and  was  grad- 
uated from  Dartmouth  in  the  class  of  1851,  studied  law 
with  the  late  Daniel  M.  Christie,  of  Dover,  the  preceptor 
of  so  many  brilliant  members  of  the  New  Hampshire  bar, 
and  was  admitted  to  practice  in  1855.  He  began  his  pro- 
fessional activity  first  in  his  native  village,  but  later  re- 
moved to  Dover,  where  he  spent  the  balance  of  his  life. 
Mr.  Hall  was  not  long  in  making  his  way  to  the  front 
rank  of  his  profession  and  at  the  time  of  his  death  had 
been  for  many  years  numbered  with  the  leading  members 
of  the  bar  in  the  state.  In  1862  he  was  first  chosen  to 
public  office  as  solicitor  of  Strafford  county,  which  posi- 
tion he  held  until  1874.  In  that  year  he  was  elected  to 
represent  his  ward  in  the  General  court  and  was  one  of 
the  most  influential  members  of  that  body  in  the  practical 
shaping  of  legislation.  In  1871  and  1872  he  sat  in  the 
State  senate  and  from  1874  to  1879  he  was  U.  S.  attorney 
for  the  district  of  New  Hampshire.  In  1880  he  was  elect- 
ed to  represent  his  district  in  congress  and  served  two 
terms  with  distinction  for  himself  and  satisfaction  to  his 

382 


JOSHUA  OILMAN   HALL 


STATE  BUILDERS 

constituents.  Mr.  Hall  was  mayor  of  Dover  in  1866  and 
1867.  In  every  position  in  public  life  and  in  all  his 
private  relations  Mr.  Hall  was  actuated  by  high  ideals  of 
honor  and  integrity.  He  was  a  most  industrious  man  and 
despite  all  pressing  duties  of  public  office  he  never  neglect- 
ed the  needs  of  the  clients  who  had  intrusted  their  matters 
to  his  charge,  but,  doing  double  duty,  discharged  to  the 
full  his  obligations  to  the  public  service  and  to  his  private 
undertakings.  Nov.  16,  1861  he  married  Miss  S.  Lizzie 
Bigelow  of  Boston,  and  became  the  father  of  three  chil- 
dren, two  daughters,  one  the  wife  of  F.  D.  Cook  of 
Nashua,  now  living  in  Florida,  and  the  other,  wife  of 
Gen.  William  D.  Sawyer  of  New  York  City.  His  only 
son,  D  wight  Hall,  graduated  from  Dartmouth  in  1894, 
from  the  Boston  University  Law  School  in  1897,  and  was 
admitted  to  the  bar  in  that  year,  practising  at  first  as  his 
father's  partner,  and  now  by  himself.  In  1898  Mr.  Hall 
was  appointed  referee  in  bankruptcy  for  the  Third  dis- 
trict of  New  Hampshire  and  bids  fair  to  add  new  laurels 
to  the  name  made  illustrious  by  his  father. 


383 


WILLIAM  LAWRENCE  FOSTER. 

One  of  the  ablest  and  most  learned  of  the  justices  who 
have  adorned  the  New  Hampshire  Supreme  bench  was 
William  Lawrence  Foster,  who  was  born  of  Revolution- 
ary stock  at  Westminster,  Vermont,  June  ist,  1823.  His 
great  grandfather  was  a  soldier  of  the  Revolution  and 
fought  at  the  battle  of  Bunker  Hill.  His  grandfather, 
while  a  freshman  at  Yale,  joined  the  minute  men  of  Read- 
ing, Mass.,  and  participated  in  the  battle  of  Lexington. 
His  father  removed  from  Vermont  to  Fitzwilliam,  and 
then  to  Keene,  where  he  died  in  1854,  and  where;  his  son 
was  educated  in  the  common  schools.  At  the  age  of 
seventeen  he  began  the  study  of  law  in  the  office  of  Levi 
Chamberlain,  and  in  1844  and  1845  received  instructions 
at  the  Harvard  Law  school.  He  was  admitted  to  the  bar 
of  Cheshire  county  in  1845  and  practised  in  Keene  in 
partnership  with  John  J.  Baxter,  and  later  with  his  pre- 
ceptor. He  was  early  marked  for  political  advancement 
and  from  1845  to  1849  ne  served  as  postmaster  at  Keene. 
From  1849  to  1853  he  was  clerk  of  the  New  Hampshire 
senate,  and  during  the  administration  of  Governor  Dins- 
more  was  a  member  of  his  staff.  By  that  executive  also 
he  was,  in  1850,  appointed  state  law  reporter,  which  posi- 
tion he  held  until  1856,  and  published  fifteen  volumes  of 
the  New  Hampshire  reports.  In  1853  ne  removed  to 
Concord  and  formed  a  partnership  in  the  law  with  the  late 
Coi.  John  H.  George.  The  late  Hon.  Charles  P.  Sanborn 
was  subsequently  a  member  of  the  firm,  and  Col.  George 

384 


WILLIAM  LAWRENCE  FOSTER 


STATE  BUILDERS 

retiring  in  1857  the  partnership  of  Foster  &  Sanborn  con- 
tinued until  1869,  when  the  senior  partner  was  first  ap- 
pointed to  the  bench.  In  1854  he  was  appointed  commis- 
sioner oi  the  Circuit  court  of  the  United  States  and  held 
that  position  until  1862  when  he  was  elected  a  member 
of  the  House  of  Representatives  and  was  re-elected  in 
1863.  Oct.  ist,  1869  he  took  his  seat  upon  the  bench  of 
the  Supreme  court,  where  he  remained  until  1874,  when 
upon  the  reorganization  of  the  judicial  system  he  was 
made  Chief  Justice  of  the  Circuit  court.  Two  years  later 
upon  a  restoration  of  the  former  judicial  system  he  was 
again  appointed  judge  of  the  Supreme  court,  and  held  the 
office  until  July  ist,  1881,  when  he  resigned  to  resume 
the  practice  of  law.  In  1884  ne  was  appointed  a  United 
States  commissioner,  and  held  the  position  until  his 
death.  Judge  Foster  was  a  man  of  superb  legal  attain- 
ments, possessing  a  fine  mind,  keen  perception  and  gra- 
cious personality,  and  an  impressive  manner  as  an  advo^- 
cate.  Both  on  the  bench  and  at  the  bar  he  attained  a 
signal  measure  of  success,  his  practice  being  at  the  time  of 
his  death  a  choice  and  lucrative  one.  Judge  Foster  was 
married  Jan.  13,  1853  to  Harriet  M.  Perkins  of  Hopkin- 
ton,  who  with  four  children  survive  him.  At  the  time  of 
his  death  Judge  Foster  had  been  for  many  years  a  mem- 
ber of  the  standing  committee  of  the  Protestant  Episcopal 
diocese  of  New  Hampshire. 


385 


WILLIAM  TRUE  CASS. 

The  great  bulwark  of  American  national  life,  the 
sheet  anchor  of  the  country's  strength  and  progress 
throughout  the  nineteenth  century,  was  that  splendid 
manhood  and  individual  character,  the  glory  of  the  New 
England  country  town,  that  took  up  the  work  laid  down 
by  the  fathers  and  carried  it  forward  until  they,  in  turn, 
finished  their  triumphant  careers  and  passed  on. 

The  ideas,  opinions,  and  purposes  of  the  original  New 
England  life  prevailed  and  dominated  in  individual  and 
state  action  until  the  closing  decades  of  the  century  just 
closed.  Their  soundness  and  wisdom  were  made  mani- 
fest by  the  magnificence  of  the  results  that  proceeded  from 
an  adherence  thereto  by  the  typical  New  England  man 
of  that  period. 

The  men  of  the  type  mentioned  won  success  for  them- 
selves and  prosperity  for  their  country  because  of  their 
fidelity  to  the  duty  of  each  successive  hour.  In  every 
village  and  town  throughout  New  Hampshire  were  men 
of  this  class  who,  by  precept  and  example,  enabled  a 
great  multitude  of  men  and  women  to  become  a  power 
in  the  work  of  developing  the  country. 

Thoroughly  typical  of  that  company  of  men  who  de- 
veloped New  Hampshire's  interests  in  the  nineteenth 
century  was  William  True  Cass,  who  was  born  in 
Andover,  February  7,  1826,  and  died  in  the  town  of 
Tilton,  May  26,  1901.  His  was  a  career  of  usefulness 
from  first  to  last,  and  the  community  and  state  were 
better  for  his  having  lived. 

386 


WILLIAM  T.  CASS 


STATE  BUILDERS 

The  parents  of  the  subject  of  this  sketch  were  Benja- 
min and  Sarah  (True)  Cass,  who  lived  first  in  Andover 
and  later  in  Plymouth.  Their  son,  William  T.,  as  a  boy 
worked  on  the  parental  farm,  growing  to  manhood  in 
this  occupation  and  in  attending  the  town's  schools  and 
the  Holmes  academy  in  Plymouth.  In  1853  tne  family 
moved  to  a  farm  in  Sanborton  Bridge,  since  called 
Tilton.  Farming  and  work  in  one  of  the  village  fac- 
tories were  followed  by  the  son  for  some  three  years, 
when  in  January  1856  he  was  chosen  cashier  of  the  Citi- 
zens' Bank,  a  calling  he  was  destined  to  follow  the  rest  of 
his  long,  useful,  and  industrious  life. 

It  is  of  interest  to  note  that  during  the  forenoon  of 
the  day  he  was  elected  cashier  of  the  bank,  he  worked  at 
his  regular  occupation,  in  the  village  woolen  mill,  and  in 
the  afternoon  assumed  the  duties  of  cashier.  This  inci- 
dent illustrates  the  versatility  of  the  man,  and  further 
is  an  evidence  of  indomitable  energy  and  activity. 

Although  without  previous  experience  in  banking  at 
the  time  of  his  selection  as  cashier,  he  threw  his  whole 
soul  into  his  new  calling  and  ere  long  he  mastered  its 
details.  As  the  years  came  and  went  the  institution  pros- 
pered, its  capital  stock  was  increased  and  in  1865  it  was 
made  a  national  bank.  Mr.  Cass  continued  as  its  cash- 
ier until  1889,  a  total  of  thirty-three  years,  when  an  elec- 
tion to  the  presidency  of  the  bank  caused  his  resignation 
as  cashier.  As  president  of  the  bank  he  continued  to  the 
hour  of  his  death. 

It  was  essentially  through  the  efforts  of  Mr.  Cass 
that  a  savings  bank  in  Tilton  was  chartered  in  1870, 
and  upon  its  organization  he  was  chosen  its  treasurer, 
a  position  he  held  until  his  decease.  He  was  a  trustee 
of  the  savings  institution  and  the  only  original  member  of 
the  board  at  the  time  of  his  death.  From  a  new  venture 

387 


STATE  BUILDERS 

Mr.   Cass  saw  the  savings  bank's  deposits  increase  to 
nearly  a  half  million  of  dollars. 

He  had  passed  a  total  of  nearly  forty-five  years  as 
a  bank  official,  a  length  of  service  rarely  attained  in  any 
community.  His  long  experience  and  proven  ability  in 
the  field  of  finance  and  monetary  affairs  caused  his  coun- 
sel to  be  sought  by  varied  business  interests  throughout 
his  section  of  the  state. 

But  it  was  not  wholly  as  a  business  man  that  Mr. 
Cass  was  conspicuous.  He  recognized  his  duty  in  every 
phase  of  life  and  served  his  fellow  men  faithfully  in  the 
religious,  educational  and  social  life  of  his  adopted  town. 

In  boyhood  he  joined  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church, 
and  throughout  all  his  after  years  was  actively  identified 
with  that  denomination;  giving  liberally  of  his  means 
to  aid  in  sustaining  the  work  of  his  own  church,  and 
serving  as  class  leader  for  the  most  honorable  term  of 
forty  years;  president  of  the  board  of  trustees  for  several 
years,  as  well  as  a  teacher  and  superintendent  of  the 
Sunday  School.  For  eighteen  years  he  was  treasurer  of 
the  New  Hampshire  Conference  Seminary  at  Tilton. 

Politically  Mr.  Cass  had  been  a  Republican  from  the 
inception  of  the  Civil  War,  but  political  preferment  was 
never  to  his  taste  or  inclination.  He  preferred  the  in- 
dependence of  his  sterling  manhood  to  the  care  of  political 
honor  or  power. 

He,  however,  served  as  town  treasurer,  as  a  member 
of  the  Park  Cemetery  trustees  and  as  moderator  at  town 
meetings. 

On  September  18,  1851,  Mr.  Cass  married  Mary 
Emery  Locke  of  Concord.  Four  children  were  born  to 
them,  two  of  whom  survived  their  father:  a  daughter, 
the  wife  of  Abel  Wesley  Reynolds  of  West  Somerville, 
Mass.,  and  a  son,  Arthur  True  Cass,  who  succeeded  his 
father  as  cashier  of  the  National  Bank. 

388 


ELMER  D.  GOODWIN 


ELMER  D.   GOODWIN. 

The  hope  of  the  present  and  the  promise  of  the  future 
are  in  the  young  men  of  a  community.  Instinctively  their 
fellow  men  note  their  capabilities,  their  dispositions,  and 
all  their  characteristics.  According  as  are  these  do  they 
beget  confidence  or  distrust,  and  fortunate  is  the  young 
man  who  early  learns  that  the  good  opinion  of  his  fellow 
beings  is  essential  to  his  permanent  success,  prosperity 
and  standing  in  the  community. 

It  is  from  such  as  these  that  are  selected  the  men  de- 
signed for  leaders  and  to  fill  positions  of  trust  in  all 
phases  of  a  material  life. 

Splendidly  representative  of  this  class  is  Elmer  D. 
Goodwin  of  Manchester,  who  is  not  only  a  successful 
business  man  but  as  a  member  of  society  is  esteemed  and 
trusted  for  those  traits  of  character  that  denote  the  man. 
By  integrity,  industry,  and  sincerity  of  purpose  he  has 
won  his  way  to  enviable  positions  of  honor  at  the  hands 
of  his  fellow  associates. 

Mr.  Goodwin  was  born  in  Charlestown,  Mass.,  October 
12,  1866,  the  son  of  John  and  Caroline  W.  (Bolles) 
Goodwin,  both  of  whom  were  natives  of  Londonderry. 
When  only  eight  months  old  his  mother  died  and  he  was 
sent  to  live  with  his  maternal  grandparents,  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Lewis  Bolles  in  Londonderry.  With  them  he  remained 
for  five  years  when  he  was  taken  to  his  father's  home  in 
Lynn,  Mass.,  and  there  he  lived  until  he  was  eleven  years 
old,  at  which  age  he  returned  to  Londonderry.  He  at- 
tended the  schools  of  Lynn  and  Londonderry,  supple- 
menting these  with  courses  at  Pinkerton  academy,  Derry, 
and  the  New  Hampshire  Conference  seminary,  Tilton. 

389 


STATE  BUILDERS 

The  terms  at  these  two  well  known  academies  closed 
his  student  life,  for  he  at  once  entered  upon  a  mercantile 
career  that  has  continued  to  the  date  of  this  writing. 

Becoming  a  clerk  in  the  grocery  store  of  George  S. 
Rollins  in  Derry,  he  continued  as  such  until  he  accepted 
a  position  in  the  Derry  railroad  station  then  under  the 
charge  of  James  Priest.  His  next  move  was  as  a  partner 
with  George  F.  Priest  in  the  coal  and  ice  business  in 
Derry.  This  partnership  was  continued  for  four  years, 
when  Mr.  Goodwin  accepted  the  position  of  manager  of 
the  Derry  branch  of  the  furniture  house  of  W.  P.  B. 
Brooks  &  Company  of  Boston,  retaining  the  same  for 
some  two  years. 

In  1891  he  went  to  Manchester  to  become  the  book- 
keeper in  the  wholesale  tin  and  kitchen-ware  house  of 
the  late  Clark  M.  Bailey,  and  remained  as  such  for  eight 
years,  purchasing  in  1899  the  undertaking  business  of 
Alfred  E.  Morse. 

In  this  undertaking  Mr.  Goodwin  has  been  singularly 
successful,  for  he  has  all  those  attributes  so  desirable  in 
a  mortician,  attributes  that  are  natural  in  him  and  not 
affected.  The  business  he  has  developed  is  one  of  the 
largest  of  its  kind  in  northern  New  England,  and  in  the 
business  community  he  is  held  in  marked  esteem. 

Early  in  life  Mr.  Goodwin  manifested  a  decided  in- 
terest in  fraternal  organizations  and  especially  is  this  true 
as  respects  the  Masonic  order.  In  1892  he  joined  St. 
Mark's  lodge  in  Derry,  and  from  that  year  on  his  has 
been  a  most  enviable  career  as  a  Mason,  having  reached 
in  less  than  ten  years  to  the  high  position  of  Eminent 
Commander  of  Trinity  Commandery,  Knights  Templar, 
in  the  city  of  Manchester.  He  is  a  past  high  priest  of 
Mount  Horeb  Royal  Arch  chapter,  present  (1903)  thrice 
illustrious  master  of  Adoniram  council,  R.  and  S.  M.,  and 
patron  in  the  order  of  the  Eastern  Star.  Aside  from  his 
Masonic  affiliations  he  is  a  past  chancellor  commander  of 
Rockingham  lodge,  Derry,  Knights  of  Pythias;  a  member 
of  Gen.  Stark  grange,  Patrons  of  Husbandry;  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Improved  Order  of  Red  Men;  a  member  of 

390 


STATE    BUILDERS 

the  O.  U.  A.  M. ;  a  member  of  the  Derryfield  club,  Man- 
chester; of  the  local  board  of  trade,  and  treasurer  of  the 
Undertakers  and  Licensed  Embalmers'  Association  of 
New  Hampshire. 

He  married,  in  1886,  Miss  Ella  L.  Sargent  of  Sears- 
port,  Maine.  One  child,  a  son,  Lewis  Byron,  has  been 
born  to  them.  The  church  home  of  the  family  is  the 
Franklin  Street  Congregational. 


CHARLES  A.  BUSIEL. 

Probably  no  man  has  been  more  prominently  and  ac- 
tively identified  with  the  manufacturing,  business,  finan- 
cial, and  social  life  of  Laconia,  during  the  past  thirty 
years,  than  ex-Governor  Charles  A.  Busiel.  In  the 
construction  of  the  Lake  Shore  railroad,  the  erection 
of  the  new  passenger  station,  the  establishment  of  a  city 
hospital,  the  inauguration  of  the  city  government,  and  in 
a  thousand  and  one  other  enterprises,  all  in  the  direction 
of  progress  and  advancement,  Mr.  Busiel  made  his  mark 
and  built  for  himself  a  monument  as  a  public-spirited, 
broad-minded,  progressive  Laconian,  which  will  do 
honor  to  him  for  centuries  to  come. 

Charles  Albert  Busiel  was  born  in  Meredith,  N.  H., 
November  24,  1842.  He  was  the  eldest  son  of  the  late 
John  W.  and  Julia  (Tilton)  Busiel.  He  received  his 
education  in  the  public  schools  of  Laconia  and  at  old  Gil- 
ford academy,  and  after  graduating  he  entered  his 
father's  hosiery  mill  and  acquired  a  practical  knowledge 
of  the  entire  business  by  actual  labor  in  each  department. 
In  1863  he  engaged  in  business  on  his  own  account,  but 
within  a  few  years  sold  his  interest  in  the  establishment 
which  he  had  put  in  operation,  and  with  a  brother,  in 
1869,  he  entered  into  partnership  and  engaged  in  the 
manufacture  of  hosiery.  Another  brother  joined  the 
firm  in  1872,  and  the  name  became  J-.  W.  Busiel  &  Co. 
This  business  is  still  continued  and  ranks  as  one  of  the 
most  important  industries  in  Laconia. 

392 


CHARLKS  A.    BUS1EL 

Governor  of  New  Hampshire,  1895-1896 


STATE  BUILDERS 

Ex-Governor  Busiel  was  president  of  the  Laconia 
National  bank  and  also  president  of  the  City  Savings 
bank.  He  attained  much  prominence  in  railroad  circles 
by  his  investments  in  this  kind  of  property,  by  his  success 
in  organizing  and  constructing  the  Lake  Shore  railroad, 
and  as  one  of  the  managing  directors  of  the  old  Concord 
&  Montreal  railroad. 

Credit  for  the  substantial  and  beautiful  Laconia  depot 
largely  belongs  to  Hon.  Charles  A.  Busiel,  who  was  at 
that  time  one  of  the  managing  directors  of  the  Concord 
railroad,  and  it  was  through  his  efforts  and  local  pride 
that  Laconia  was  granted  such  an  expensive  and  mag- 
nificent passenger  station.  History  will  accord  to  Hon. 
C.  A.  Busiel  the  honor  of  constructing  the  Lake  Shore 
railroad  and  the  erection  of  the  Laconia  passenger  sta- 
tion, and  these  two  things  will  stand  as  monuments  to 
the  man  for  years  to  come. 

In  politics  ex-Governor  Busiel  always  supported  the 
party  which  he  believed  represented  the  best  interests  of 
the  people  upon  local,  state,  and  national  issues.  He 
represented  Laconia  in  the  Legislatures  of  1878  and  1879; 
he  was  a  delegate  to  the  Democratic  national  convention 
in  Cincinnati  in  1880;  as  a  Republican  candidate  he  be- 
came the  first  mayor  of  the  new  city  of  Laconia,  although 
at  that  time  the  city  was  strongly  Democratic.  He  was 
re-elected  mayor  for  a  second  term  by  a  largely  increased 
majority.  In  1895  he  was  the  Republican  candidate  for 
governor  of  New  Hampshire,  and  was  elected  by  one  of 
the  largest  majorities  ever  received  by  any  candidate  in 
this  state — about  10,000  majority  and  13,000  plurality. 
For  the  first  time  in  history,  every  county  in  New  Hamp- 
shire returned  a  Republican  majority  at  this  election.  As 
governor  of  the  state  he  advocated  and  even  compelled 
retrenchments  and  reforms,  which  saved  the  treasury 
hundreds  of  thousands  of  dollars,  and  it  was  universally 

393 


STATE  BUILDERS 

admitted  by  opponents  as  well  as  friends,  that  Governor 
Busiel  was  one  of  the  best  governors  who  ever  held  the 
position  of  chief  executive  in  this  state.  He  was  prom- 
inent as  a  candidate  for  United  States  senator  in  1896, 
and  was  undoubtedly  the  choice  of  his  state  for  a  secre- 
tary's portfolio  in  President  McKinley's  cabinet. 

Ex-Governor  Busiel  attended  the  Congregational 
church.  He  was  very  prominent  in  Masonic  circles,  as 
well  as  in  the  Knights  of  Pythias  and  other  beneficial, 
social  and  charitable  organizations. 

During  his  administration  as  governor  he  paid  $200,- 
ooo  of  the  state  debt,  and  $75,000  to  defray  expenses  left 
due  by  previous  administrations.  By  his  vetoes  of  the 
unnecessary  measures  passed  by  the  Legislature,  Gov- 
ernor Busiel  practically  saved  the  state  a  million  dollars, 
and  when  he  retired  from  office  he  left  in  the  state  treas- 
ury $590,706.07  according  to  the  report  of  the  state 
auditing  committee. 

January,  1897,  Governor  Busiel  purchased  a  con- 
trolling interest  in  the  Laconia  Democrat,  and  organized 
the  Laconia  Press  Association.  From  that  time  up  to  the 
date  of  his  death  he  devoted  a  portion  of  his  time  every 
week  to  editorial  work  upon  the  paper.  He  took  great 
pleasure  in  this  work  and  was  a  vigorous  and  aggressive 
writer  with  broad  and  progressive  ideas. 

In  1864  he  married  Eunice  Elizabeth  Preston,  daugh- 
ter of  Worcester  Preston.  They  have  one  daughter, 
Frances  E.  Busiel,  who  is  the  wife  of  Wilson  Long- 
streth  Smith  of  Germantown,'  Pa.  They  had  one  son, 
Charles  Albert  Busiel  Smith,  born  March  I,  1895,  died 
August  6,  1901. 


394 


CYRUS  A.  SULLOWAY 


CYRUS  A.  SULLOWAY. 

Cyrus  A.  Sulloway  of  Manchester  has  just  been  elected 
from  the  first  New  Hampshire  district  for  a  fifth  term 
of  two  years  in  the  national  house  of  representatives  in 
Washington,  establishing  a  record  without  precedent  in 
the  political  history  of  the  state  for  service  as  a  congress- 
man. The  man  who  possesses  to  such  an  extent  the  con- 
fidence and  respect  of  his  fellow  citizens  must  be  consid- 
ered as  peculiarly  honored,  particularly  when  it  is  con- 
sidered that  his  success  has  been  well  earned  and  every 
whit  deserved. 

Mr.  Sulloway  was  born  in  Grafton,  New  Hampshire, 
June  8,  1839,  and  spent  his  boyhood  upon  his  father's 
farm.  His  early  opportunities  for  education  were  thus 
restricted  to  the  public  schools  of  his  town,  supplemented, 
through  his  own  enterprise  and  eagerness  for  knowledge, 
with  a  course  at  Colby  academy,  New  London. 

His  inclinations  led  him  to  choose  the  profession  of 
law  for  his  life  work  and  in  1861  he  entered  the  office 
of  Pike  &  Barnard  at  Franklin  to  begin  his  studies.  Two 
years  later,  in  1863,  he  was  admitted  to*  the  bar  and  im- 
mediately went  to  the  city  o<f  Manchester,  of  which 
municipality  he  has  ever  since  been  a  resident. 

He  entered  into  partnership  for  the  practice  of  his  pro- 
fession with  Samuel  D.  Lord,  a  prosperous  connection, 
which  continued  for  ten  years.  Upon  its  dissolution  Mr. 
Sulloway  associated  himself  with  E.  M.  Topliff,  and  the 
practice  of  the  firm  thus  formed  has  been  one  of  the 
largest  in  the  state. 

395 


STATE  BUILDERS 

From  the  first  moment  of  his  entrance  into  politics 
Congressman  Sulloway's  personality  has  been  as  pictur- 
esque and  potent  as  it  had  previously  been  at  the  bar. 
From  1873  to  1878  he  served  as  deputy  collector  of  in- 
ternal revenue.  Five  times  he  was  a  member  of  the  state 
house  of  representatives,  once  serving  as  chairman  of  the 
committee  on  elections  and  twice  as  chairman  of  the  com- 
mittee on  the  judiciary. 

It  was  in  the  fall  of  1894  that  Mr.  Sulloway  made  his 
debut  in  national  politics,  receiving  the  unanimous  Re- 
publican nomination  for  congress  in  the  first  district  and 
being  elected,  after  a  characteristic  campaign  of  vigor 
and  enthusiasm,  by  a  plurality  of  more  than  6,000.  In 
1898  he  was  re-elected  by  a  plurality  of  more  than 
11,000.  In  1900  he  won  his  third  victory  in  this  arena, 
defeating  Edward  J.  Knowlton  after  one  of  the  hardest 
fought  campaigns  in  the  history  of  the  state.  In  1900 
he  announced  that  he  was  not  a  candidate  for  another 
term,  but  his  party  almost  forced  the  nomination  upon 
him  and  he  was  again  successful.  The  story  of  his  fifth 
election  is  still  fresh  in  mind. 

Mr.  Sulloway  is  one  of  the  best  known  men  in  con- 
gress, not  merely  for  the  virility  of  his  eloquence  and  his 
appearance,  but  for  the  solid  worth  of  his  work  in  very 
important  places.  As  chairman  of  the  committee  on  in- 
valid pensions  his  industry,  intelligence  and  integrity 
have  been  recognized  and  praised  throughout  the  country. 


396 


LOUIS  ASHTON  THORP 


LOUIS  ASHTON  THORP. 

New  Hampshire  is  justly  proud  of  the  number  of  her 
young  men  who  are  daily  demonstrating  their  ability 
to  accept  the  responsibilities  and  demands  of  life  in  all 
its  varied  phases,  and  particularly  those  which  pertain  to 
public  affairs.  The  presence  of  this  class  of  young  men 
is  one  that  no  genuine  lover  of  this  land  and  its  institu- 
tions can  fail  to  admire,  for  it  gives  promise  of  the 
stability  of  the  future,  and  is  an  ever-present  inspiration 
to  them  who  would  safe-guard  the  integrity  of  the 
country's  life. 

Conspicuous  among  the  younger  men  in  the  public  life 
of  the  state  in  the  opening  years  of  the  twentieth  century 
is  L.  Ashton  Thorp,  a  member  of  the  Manchester  Bar 
and  associate  clerk  of  the  state  senate  during  the  session 
of  1903. 

Mr.  Thorp  was  born  in  the  city  of  Manchester  on 
December  7,  1876,  the  centennial  year  of  the  nation's 
birth.  His  education  was  obtained  in  the  Manchester 
public  schools.  He  early  displayed  a  predilection  for  the 
law,  and  following  this  bent  he  was  soon  after  his 
graduation  from  the  recitation  room  enrolled  as  a 
student  at  law  in  the  office  of  Burnham,  Brown  & 
Warren,  in  Manchester.  He  was  subsequently  entered 
as  a  student  in  Boston  University  law  school,  from 
which  he  graduated  in  1902.  His  admission  to  the  bar 
of  New  Hampshire  and  his  opening  of  an  office  in  his 
native  city  were  events  that  immediately  followed  his 
graduation  from  the  law  school. 

397 


STATE  BUILDERS 

Possessing  natural  aptitude  for  the  grasping  of  the 
labyrinthine  detail  of  legislative  work,  his  fitness  for 
positions  in  state  legislative  bodies  was  early  recognized. 
In  1901  he  was  chosen  to  the  important  office  of  assistant 
clerk  of  the  New  Hampshire  senate  and  in  the  constitu- 
tional convention  of  1902  he  was  made  its  assistant 
secretary.  The  duty  of  keeping  the  journal  of  the 
convention  devolved  upon  Mr.  Thorp,  and  the  manner  in 
which  he  performed  the  work  met  with  the  approval  of 
the  entire  body. 

Mr.  Thorp's  initial  service  in  public  life  was  as  a 
messenger  in  the  state  senate.  As  a  member  of  the 
Republican  party  he  has  oftentimes  appeared  upon  the 
stump  in  various  campaigns  to  the  acceptance  of  the 
party  and  the  general  public,  irrespective  of  political 
affiliation. 

Mr.  Thorp  is  a  talented  orator,  and  thus  early  in  life 
has  won  an  enviable  reputation  as  lecturer  upon  themes 
of  general  public  interest,  one  of  his  strongest  being  a 
lecture  on  "The  Mission  of  the  Twentieth  Century.'' 
He  has  lectured  in  many  parts  of  New  England  and  has 
met  with  universal  success. 

In  fraternal  organizations  Mr.  Thorp  has  membership 
in  the  Odd  Fellows  and  Patrons  of  Husbandry. 


398 


ELI  EDWIN  GRAVES,  M.D. 


ELI  EDWIN  GRAVES,  M.  D. 

Eli  Edwin  Graves,  a  descendant  from  the  pioneer  fami- 
lies of  Deerfield,  Greenfield  and  Hadley,  Mass.,  was  born 
Sept.  9th,  1847  at  Jericho  Center,  Vermont.  He  was 
educated  at  the  Essex  classical  institute,  and  then  follow- 
ing- the  marked  tendency  in  his  family,  which  has  given 
many  names  to  the  roll  of  the  medical  profession,  he  en- 
tered the  office  of  F.  F.  Hovey,  M.  D.,  at  Jericho,  where 
for  two  years  he  pursued  his  studies.  The  following  two 
years  was  passed  at  Burlington,  Vermont  with  profes- 
sors Thayer  and  Carpenter,  and  in  June,  1868  Dr.  Graves 
received  his  degree  from  the  University  of  Vermont. 
Practising  for  a  month  in  the  office  of  Dr.  Walter  Car- 
penter in  Burlington  he  removed  in  September  of  the 
same  year  to  Boscawen,  where  he  succeeded  to  the  prac- 
tice of  Dr.  E.  K.  Webster,  and  became  the  occupant  of  the 
Dr.  Webster  homestead  in  that  village.  In  1872, 
urged  by  the  growing  demands  of  his  practice,  he  estab- 
lished an  office  in  Penacook.  In  1876  he  took  a  special 
course  in  surgery  at  the  Harvard  Medical  school,  and  has 
since  devoted  himself  chiefly  to  that  branch  of  the  pro- 
fession. Dr.  Graves  maintained  his  residence  at  Bos- 
cawen until  1897,  taking  great  pride  in  improving  and 
beautifying  the  fine  old  estate  upon  which  it  was  his  good 
fortune  to  live,  but  the  increasing  demand  for  his  presence 
at  Penacook  led  him  in  that  year  to  remove  thither,  where 
he  established  his  home  at  the  Arnsden  homestead,  which 
he  purchased.  This  residence,  one  of  the  finest  in  the 

399 


STATE  BUILDERS 

community,  receives  much  attention  from  its  owner,  and 
both  within  and  without  is  a  most  attractive  example  of 
the  typical  New  England  home  of  refinement  and  re- 
source. Dr.  Graves  is  the  owner  of  an  extensive  library 
of  general  literature  as  well  as  of  publications  relating  to 
his  profession.  He  is  also  an  antiquarian  of  no  little  re- 
pute, being  the  possessor  of  many  fine  examples  of  old 
time  furniture,  one  of  them  being  the  high  posted  desk 
used  by  Daniel  Webster  in  his  first  law  office.  Dr.  Graves' 
mi neralogicaL  cabinet  and  his  collection  of  Indian  relics 
are  also  extensive  and  valuable.  Dr.  Graves  was  one  of 
the  first  members  of  the  board  of  health  in  Boscawen,  and 
for  some  years  was  superintendent  of  schools  in  that 
town.  In  1889  he  was  its  representative  in  the  legisla- 
ture. For  17  years  he  was  the  physician  attendant  at  the 
Merrimack  county  alms  house  and  is  now  a  member  of 
the  consulting  staff  of  the  Margaret  Pillsbury  general 
hospital  at  Concord.  He  is  a  member  of  the  New  Hamp- 
shire Medical  society,  ex-president  of  the  Center  District 
Medical  society,  member  of  the  American  Medical  asso- 
ciation, the  American  Public  Health  association,  and  of 
the  New  Hampshire  Historical  society.  Dr.  Graves  is  a 
Mason,  an  Odd  Fellow,  a  member  of  the  Knights  of 
Honor  and  other  fraternal  organizations.  He  was  one 
of  the  promoters  of  the  enterprise  to  secure  an  adequate 
water  supply  for  the  community  in  which  he  lives  and  is 
now  chairman  of  the  water  board  for  the  Penacook  and 
Boscawen  water  precinct. 

In  1872,  he  married  Miss  Martha  A.  Williams  of 
Essex,  Vermont.  She  died  January  29,  1903,  leaving 
besides  her  husband,  a  son  who  is  a  graduate  from  Har- 
vard University  and  Harvard  Medical  School  and  is  now 
connected  with  the  medical  staff  of  the  Massachusetts 
General  Hospital;  and  a  daughter,  a  graduate  of  Dean 
Academy,  Franklin,  Mass.,  class  of  1901. 


400 


NATHANIEL  E.  MARTIN 


NATHANIEL  EVERETT  MARTIN. 

Of  sturdy  Scotch-Irish  ancestry,  Nathaniel  Everett 
Martin  was  born  in  London  Aug.  9,  1855,  the  son  of. 
Theophilusi  B.  and  Sarah  L.  (Rowell)  Martin.  Mr.  Mar- 
tin's first  ancestor  in  this  country  was  William  Martin 
who  landed  in  Boston  in  1732,  and  made  his  way  thence 
to  Londonderry  in  this  state,  where  was  settled  that  ro>- 
bust  colony  of  Scotch-Irish  emigrants  from  whom  have 
sprung  so  many  strong  and  vigorous  sons.  His  great- 
grandfather, James  Martin,  was  one  of  the  first  of  that 
eager  band  who>  enlisted  in  the  Revolutionary  ranks  at  the 
outbreak  of  the  war  for  independence,  and  though  he 
died  before  the  new  republic  had  established  its  cause  by 
arms,  he  left  to  his  descendants  a  vigorous  Americanism 
which  persisted  in  none  o<f  the  race  more  strongly  than  in 
the  subject  of  this  sketch. 

Mr.  Martin  received  his  primary  education  in  the 
schools  of  his  native  town  and  later  took  a  course  in  the 
Concord  High  school,  where  his  studious  habits  gave  him 
high  standing.  He  entered  upon  the  study  of  the  law 
with  Sargent  and  Chase,  each  of  whom  it  may  be  re- 
marked later  served  with  distinction  upon  the  supreme 
bench  of  the  state,  and  on  Aug.  14,  1879,  the  young  at- 
torney was  admitted  to  the  bar.  His  practice  from  the 
first  was  lucrative  and  extensive,  and  for  many  years 
the  partnership  which  he  sustained  with  John  H.  Albin, 
ranked  as  one  of  the  busiest  law  firms  in  New  Hampshire. 
In  1899  this  relationship  was  dissolved  and  a  new  part- 

401 


STATE  BUILDERS 

nership  formed  with  DeWitt  C.  Howe,  which  still  exists 
with  a  large  and  remunerative  clientage. 

In  addition  to  his  increasing  labors  in  his  profession, 
Mr.  Martin  has  successfully  engaged  in  many  business 
ventures  and  has  taken  an  active  part  in  the  development 
of  Concord's  enterprise  and  prosperity  by  opening  up 
large  tracts  of  houselots  and  by  engaging  in  manu- 
facturing enterprises.  For  a  time,  too,  he  was  a 
director  and  the  treasurer  of  the  Sullivan  County  rail- 
road. As  a  skilled  legal  adviser  Mr.  Martin  has  frequent- 
ly been  called  upon  to  act  as  counsel  for  a  large  number 
of  towns,  and  in  many  important  instances  of  litigation 
he  has  served  as  special  counsel  for  the  city  of  Concord. 
From  1887  to*  1889,  he  was  solicitor  of  Merrimack  Coun- 
ty, and  by  his  stern  and  rigorous  policy  of  law  enforce- 
ment he  won  a  reputation  for  sterling  honesty  which  at- 
tracted wide  support  to  him  and  which  in  following  years 
was  of  great  value  in  the  field  of  politics. 

In  1898,  he  was  nominated  by  the  Democratic  party 
for  mayor  of  Concord,  and  after  a  most  spirited  cam- 
paign in  which  Mr.  Martin's  record  as  a  friend  of  law 
and  order  was  brought  forward  as  the  main  issue  by  his 
supporters,  he  was  elected  by  a  liberal  margin.  His  ad- 
ministration of  city  affairs  was  characterized  by  the  same 
manly  qualities  which  had  marked  his  course  as  a  prose- 
cuting attorney,  and  he  was  frequently  considered  by  his 
party  as  a  possible  candidate  for  governor. 

As  a  lawyer  Mr.  Martin's  special  forte  is  that  of  an 
advocate,  and  the  dockets  of  Merrimack  County  bristle 
with  jury  cases  in  which  he  makes  the  argument.  Mar- 
shalling his  facts  with  care  and  presenting  them  with  con- 
summate skill,  he  stands  in  the  very  front  rank  of  New 
Hampshire  jury  lawyers. 

Mr.  Martin  was  married  March  27,  1902,  to  Jennie 
P.  Lawrence. 


402 


HENRY  ROBINSON 


HENRY    ROBINSON 

Henry  Robinson,  postmaster  at  Concord,  New  Hamp- 
shire, is  a  versatile,  enterprising  and  popular  official. 

He  was  born  at  Concord;  has  been  repeatedly  elected 
to  the  local  legislature,  including  a  term  in  the  state  sen- 
ate; has  been  president  of  the  Commercial  club;  was 
formerly  postmaster  for  four  years,  and  mayor  for  two, 
and  is  thoroughly  identified  with  the  history  and  develop- 
ment of  the  community. 

His  father,  the  late  Nahum  Robinson,  was  warden  of 
the  state-prison,  first  construction-agent  of  the  post-office 
building  at  Concord,  and  an  extensive  contractor  and 
builder,  having  connection  with  the  erection  of  the 
greater  number  of  the  prominent  buildings  and  business 
blocks  of  the  city.  His  only  son,  Henry  Robinson,  mar- 
ried the  only  daughter  of  the  late  resident  United  States 
senator  Edward  H.  Rollins. 

With  the  exception  of  five  years,  when  Mr.  Robinson 
was  pursuing  his  studies  elsewhere  under  private  tutors 
and  at  law  school,  he  has  continued  his  residence  in  Con- 
cord. He  read  law  in  the  office  of  the  late  Judge  Josiah 
Minot,  Attorney-General  Mason  W.  Tappan,  and  Hon. 
John  Y.  Mugridge.  He  was  associated  in  the  successful 
practice  of  his  profession  with  Col.  Frank  H.  Pierce, 
nephew  of  President  Pierce,  and  afterward  with  the  late 
Mayor  Edgar  H.  Woodman. 

He  early  developed  a  taste  for  politics.  In  1879, 
although  one  of  the  youngest  members  of  the  state  legis- 

403 


STATE  BUILDERS 

lature,  he  won  a  reputation  which  made  him  a  prominent 
candidate  for  the  speakership  at  the  next  session,  but 
preferred  an  active  part  on  the  floor,  and  his  services  as 
secretary  of  the  judiciary  committee  and  as  chairman  of 
the  railroad  committee  of  the  house,  during  a  memorable 
session,  and  subsequently  as  chairman  of  the  judiciary 
committee  of  the  senate,  and  as  a  member  of  the  finance 
committee  of  that  body,  gave  him  a  wide  celebrity  as  a 
legislative  leader  and  forceful  and  eloquent  debater. 

Mr.  Robinson,  in  1890,  was  appointed  postmaster  at 
Concord,  by  President  Harrison,  upon  the  petition  of 
nearly  all  the  business-houses  and  the  people  of  the  city. 
The  superior  postal  service  which  he  gave  to  the  Capital 
city  found  not  only  a  full  appreciation  at  home,  but  won 
for  him  a  commendable  reputation  elsewhere.  The  at- 
tention of  the  devotees  generally  of  the  mail  service  was 
attracted  to  him  by  his  contributions  to  metropolitan 
journals  and  postal  publications,  and  his  painstaking  dil- 
igence in  the  post-office  and  knowledge  of  postal  affairs 
were  recognized,  not  only  by  New  Hampshire  people,  but 
by  the  postmaster-general  and  others  in  authority  at 
Washington,  so  much  so  that  at  the  opening  of  the  Mc- 
Kinley  administration  Mr.  Robinson  was  given  a  high 
recommendation  and  a  very  considerable  support  for  a 
position  as  an  assistant  postmaster-general  of  the  United 
States. 

His  first  term  as  postmaster  extended  under  President 
Cleveland's  administration  until  June  16,  1894,  and  im- 
mediately after  his  retirement  he  was  enthusiastically 
nominated  and  elected  mayor  of  Concord,  a  position  which 
he  occupied  with  great  ability  and  success  for  two  years. 
During  his  administration  as  chief  executive  of  the  city, 
decided  changes  were  made  in  the  interests  of  business 
management  and  municipal  betterment.  Various  abuses 
were  unearthed,  and  a  system  of  accounting  of  lasting 
value  inaugurated.  The  city  debt  was  reduced,  wrong- 

404 


.     STATE  BUILDERS 

doing  punished,  and  safe-guards  erected,  and  his  admin- 
istration is  pronounced  by  citizens,  irrespective  of  party 
lines,  to  have  been  especially  commendable. 

Although  the  law  has  been  Mr.  Robinson's  profession, 
he  has  nevertheless  devoted  himself  much  to  journalism 
and  literary  work.  During  political  campaigns  he  has 
been  a  voluminous  contributor  to  the  newspaper  press 
and  has  been  a  valued  correspondent  of  the  New  York 
Tribune,  Boston  Globe,  Springfield  Republican,  and  other 
leading  journals,  also  contributing  to  the  local  press  of 
the  state  a  vast  deal  of  readable  matter  of  a  biographical 
and  miscellaneous  character,  which  has  given  him  high 
standing  as  a  Xew  Hampshire  newspaper  man.  His  nom 
de  plume  of  "  Jean  Paul  "  is  known  throughout  New- 
England,  and  elsewhere,  as  that  of  a  vigorous,  fearless, 
original  thinker  and  writer,  not  only  in  politics,  but  in 
the  general  field  of  literature,  for  which  he  has  a  marked' 
taste  and  adaptation.  He  has  had  to  do,  in  a  managerial 
way,  with  many  exciting  political  campaigns,  and  he  in- 
variably brings  to  his  endeavors  the  generous  enthusiasm 
that  has  characterized  his  whole  life.  He  is  a  wide 
reader,  with  classic  and  refined  tastes,  and  an  accom- 
plished critic. 

As  a  personal  and  political  achievement,  his  candidacy 
for  reappointment  to  the  postmastership,  in  1898,  was  one 
of  the  most  noted  in  the  history  of  our  local  politics,  for 
in  the  pre-arranged  allotment  of  state  patronage  he  was 
not  included  by  the  powers  then  dominant  in  New  Hamp- 
shire. He  is  one  of  the  pioneers  in  the  establishment  of 
rural  free-delivery,  his  office,  inclusive  of  stations,  having 
at  present  the  largest  free-delivery — city  and  rural — 
plant  in  the  United  States.  He  is  the  president  of  the 
New  England  Postmasters'  association,  a  member  of  the 
Wonolancet  club  of  Concord,  of  the  Odd  Fellows  fra- 
ternity, and  various  other  organizations. 

Mr.   Robinson  is  a  highly  gifted   man,   turning  his 

405 


STATE  BUILDERS 

endeavors  easily  into  various  channels  with  uniform  suc- 
cess. Suave,  graceful  and  eloquent,  he  has  frequently 
been  heard  from  the  platform  as  a  lecturer  and  political 
orator,  always  acquitting  himself  with  credit.  A  polished 
man  of  the  world,  a  skilful  raconteur,  he  is  one  of  the 
most  companionable  of  friends. 


406 


HORATIO  K.  LIBBEY 


HORATIO    K.    LIBBEY. 

A  splendid  example  of  that  type  of  men  who  in  the 
past  and  the  present  have  carried  forward  the  work  of 
developing  and  maintaining  the  affairs  and  purposes  of 
New  Hampshire's  material  life,  and  thereby  made  the 
state  the  grand  commonwealth  she  has  become,  is 
Horatio  K.  Libbey.  In  him  is  seen,  in  highest  per- 
fection, that  trait  so  characteristic  of  the  generations  of 
New  Hampshire  men  which  enables  one  to  devise,  to 
execute  and  to  administer. 

His  is  a  genuine  New  Hampshire  ancestry  and  birth, 
for  he  descended  from  that  John  Libbey  who  settled  in 
Portsmouth  early  in  its  history.  His  father,  Ezra  Bart- 
lett  Libbey,  settled  in  Warren  in  the  White  Mountain 
region,  and  there  the  son,  Horatio  K.,  was  born  on  Oc- 
tober 24,  1851.  His  mother,  Eva  Kilburn  (Sinclair), 
was  a  native  of  Chester,  Vermont.  It  was  as  a  widow 
that  she  married  Ezra  Bartlett  Libbey,  her  first  husband 
having  been  Calvin  W.  Cummings.  She  is  yet  (1903) 
living  with  her  son,  Calvin  W.  Cummings,  in  Plymouth 
at  the  venerable  age  of  ninety-two  and  is  remarkably 
well  preserved  and  active. 

In  his  boyhood  life  the  subject  of  this  sketch  went  to 
Manchester,  in  which  city  he  attended  the  public  schools, 
and  from  the  first  was  an  apt  pupil  and  early  displayed 
an  ability  and  courage  to  accept  responsibility.  In  his 
earlier  manhood  years  he  was  employed  upon  the  mag- 
nificent estate  in  Hartford,  Connecticut,  of  Samuel  Colt, 

407 


STATE  BUILDERS 

the  inventor  of  the  revolver  bearing  his  name.  Event- 
ually leaving  Hartford  he  was  for  a  time  the  manager 
of  an  estate  in  Orford.  His  success  in  these  respective 
positions  was  so  marked  as  to  attract  the  attention  of 
others,  and  in  1891  he  was  offered  the  superintendency 
of  the  Hillsborough  County  Almshouse  and  farm  located 
at  Grasmere  in  Goffstown,  This  position  he  accepted 
on  April  ist  of  that  year  and  still  retains  the  same.  He 
is  in  addition  the  master  of  the  Hillsborough  County 
House  of  Correction,  which  is  managed  in  conjunction 
with  the  county  home  and  farm  for  the  dependent  poor. 

These  institutions  considered  singly  or  in  combination 
are  an  extreme  credit  to  the  county  and  state,  and  their 
management  reflects  the  utmost  credit  upon  the  admin- 
istrative abilities  of  Mr.  Libbey.  They  are  the  largest 
of  their  kind  in  the  state,  and  their  arrangement  and 
equipment  are  exceptionally  efficient. 

Mr.  Libbey  in  1873  married  Miss  Rebecca  J.  Huckins, 
daughter  of  the  late  Thomas  P.  Huckins  of  Warren. 
She  died  May  27,  1903,  leaving,  beside  her  husband,  two 
daughters,  Bessie  A.,  the  wife  of  William  W.  Porritt 
of  Goffstown,  and  Menta  B.  Mrs.  Libbey  was  one  who 
had  greatly  endeared  herself  to  all  whose  privilege  it  was 
to  make  her  acquaintance.  She  had  those  qualities  of 
heart  and  mind  that  won  the  respect,  love  and  confidence 
of  all,  whatever  their  station  in  life.  The  high  order  of 
the  management  at  Grasmere,  which  has  been  the  ad-- 
miration of  all  since  the  administration  of  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Libbey  began,  bespeak  her  faithful  help  to  her  husband 
in  his  exacting  position. 

In  fraternal  organizations  Mr.  Libbey  is  a  member  of 
Bible  lodge,  F.  and  A.  M.,  Goffstown,  and  of  Martha 
Washington  chapter,  order  of  the  Eastern  Star.  He  is 
also  a  member  of  junior  Grange,  Patrons  of  Husbandry, 
Grasmere.  In  political  life  he  is  a  Republican,  and  in  his 
religious  preference  a  Congregationalist. 

408 


LYDIA  A.  SCOTT 


LYDIA    A.     SCOTT. 

Prominent  among  the  pioneers  in  the  work  of  organ- 
izing women's  clubs  in  New  Hampshire,  and  markedly 
successful  in  every  aspect  of  that  effort,  has  been  Mrs. 
Lydia  Abigail  Scott,  who  since  1872  has  been  a  resident 
of  the  city  .of  Manchester  and  a  valued  member  of  its 
social,  intellectual,  and  religious  circles.  First  of  all  she 
has  been  a  worker,  grandly  exemplifying  in  that  respect 
the  traditions  of  her  New  England  birth  and  character. 
Her  work  has  been  of  a  nature  that  has  advanced  the 
welfare  of,  others,  and  made  stronger,  better  and  happier 
the  community  in  which  she  has  moved.  Though  her 
special  lines  of  work  have  been  of  a  public,  or  at  least 
of  a  semi-public  nature,  it  is  a  duty,  and  her  right  to 
have  said  of  her,  that  in  all  this  time  she  never  neglected 
or  made  secondary  the  interests  and  demands  of  her  home 
nor  the  obligations  of  an  ideal  womanhood  and  mother- 
hood. Indeed,  the  ends  and  purposes  of  her  work  were 
all  calculated  to  elevate  and  make  sweeter  and  dearer 
every  home  influence  and  action. 

Mrs.  Scott's  birthplace  was  in  China,  Maine,  where 
she  was  born,  February  4,  1841.  Her  parents  were 
John  L.  and  Lydia  (Carlton)  Gray.  On  the  parternal 
side  she  is  of  a  sturdy  Scotch-Irish  descent,  a  stock 
known  the  world  over  for  integrity  of  purpose,  inde- 
pendence of  thought  and  acuteness  of  intellent.  On  the 
maternal  side  she  descended  from  a  fine  old  English 
line  noted  for  its  many  distinguished  members.  The 

409 


STATE  BUILDERS 

parents  of  Mrs.  Scott,  and  their  children,  constituted  a 
family  that  played  an  essential  part  in  the  general  affairs 
of  their  home  town.  It  was  an  interesting  and  old-time 
family  of  five  daughters  and  two  sons.  One  of  the 
latter,  John  Carlton  Gray,  became  a  noted  lawyer  in 
California  and  for  a  long  time  was  a  justice  of  the  supe- 
rior court  of  that  state.  The  other  son,  Capt.  Lemuel 
Carlton  Gray,  died  in  1880. 

In  her  girlhood  years  it  became  the  custom  of  Mrs. 
Scott  to  read  aloud  to  her  parents  from  the  Augusta  Age 
and  other  papers  of  those  years,  and  doubtless  this  prac- 
tice quickened  her  thought,  suggested  ideas,  and  devel- 
oped her  mentality,  for  where  can  be  found  a  greater 
educational  help  for  the  young  than  the  reading  aloud 
from  some  sound  and  stable  newspaper  or  like  publica- 
tions. So  apt  was  Mrs.  Scott  as  a  school  girl,  and  so 
thoroughly  practical  were  her  educational  acquisitions 
that  at  the  early  age  of  fifteen  years  she  was  given  a 
teacher's  certificate,  which  bit  of  writing  she  still  retains 
as  a  most  precious  belonging.  Those  years  in  which  she 
passed  from  girlhood  into  her  young  womanhood  were 
years  also  in  which  the  public  mind  was  actively  engaged 
in  the  study  of  many  a  momentous  question  and  the 
medium  of  this  study  was  the  newspaper.  With  one 
whose  mental  life  was  so  alert,  active  and  inquiring  as 
that  of  Mrs.  Scott,  it  was  but  natural  that  she  should  be 
keenly  interested  in  everything  that  pertained  to  news- 
paper life  and  creation.  It  was  just  as  natural  that  she 
should  drift  into  newspaper  work,  and  this  she  did,  be- 
ginning a  career  that  was  long  continued,  able  and  fruitful 
of  results  for  the  good  of  the  great  community  that  she 
reached.  Her  first  published  writings  appeared  in  the 
Kennebunk  Journal,  then  under  the  management  of 
James  G.  Blaine.  As  a  newspaper  worker  she  wrote  for 
various  publications  and  upon  a  variety  of  topics,  but 

410 


STATE  BUILDERS 

mainly  upon  those  designed  for  the  furtherance  of  home 
and  household  matters,  to  character  building,  and  social 
and  intellectual  advancement. 

In  Augusta,  Maine,  on  October  24,  1859,  she  united  in 
marriage  with  Albert  M.  Scott,  and  lived  in  Maine's 
capital  city,  where  her  husband  was  an  overseer  in  a 
cotton  mill,  until  the  close  of  the  war  between  the  states. 
It  was  in  Augusta  that  their  only  child,  Hattie  Isabelle, 
was  born  in  1862.  In  1863  Mr.  Scott  enlisted  in  the 
Second  Maine  Regiment  of  cavalry.  While  he  was  fight- 
ing at  the  front,  Mrs.  Scott,  with  her  true  womanly  cour- 
age, faced  those  dreary  days  of  loneliness  with  a  daring 
and  hope  that  safely  carried  her  to  the  day  of  the  glad 
homecoming  of  her  husband.  During  the  years  of  her 
husband's  enlistment  she  resumed  school  teaching,  an  ex- 
perience that  tended  all  the  more  to  develop  her  innate 
characteristics  of  self  reliance,  fertility  of  resource  and 
persistency  of  purpose. 

Upon  Mr.  Scott's  return  from  the  war  the  family  re- 
moved to  Whitinsville,  Massachusetts.  In  1872  a  re- 
moval was  made  to  Manchester,  the  city  that  has  since 
been  their  home. 

Not  long  after  her  settlement  in  Manchester  she  be- 
came identified  will  the  local  Shakespeare  club,  an 
organization  destined  to  attain  a  truly  national  fame,  and 
the  president  of  which  she  was  destined  to  be  for  many 
years.  It  was  in  Manchester  that  she  early  found  a  fine 
opportunity  to  continue  her  literary  work,  which  she,did 
in  a  manner  that  won  for  her  the  unhesitating  acceptance 
of  her  employers  and  the  flattering  approval  of  the  read- 
ing world.  In  1880  she  became  the  editor  of  the  fireside 
department  of  the  Manchester  Union  and  continued  as 
such  for  five  years,  in  which  time  she  became  extensively 
known  throughout  the  state.  At  the  outset  of  the  organ- 
ization of  the  Women's  Relief  Corps  she  became  an  active 

411 


STATE  BUILDERS 

participant  in  its  affairs  and  destinies.  She  was  a 
charter  member  of  Louis  Bell  corps  of  Manchester.  For 
two  years  she  was  a  member  of  the  council,  department 
of  New  Hampshire,  and  twice  was  delegate  at  large  to 
the  National  convention  of  the  order.  In  1885  she  was 
appointed  by  the  national  president,  Mrs.  Sarah  E.  Ful- 
ler, chief  of  staff  and  as  such  was  the  first  woman  to 
hold  that  office. 

Continuing  her  interest  in  Manchester  women's  clubs 
it  was  Mrs.  Scott  who  projected  the  federation  of  the 
local  organizations  and  the  suggestion  became  a  vital 
and  vitalizing  fact. 

In  1882  her  only  daughter  united  in  marriage  with 
Edward  Lyon  Swazey,  a  successful  ranchman  and  cattle 
dealer  in  Wyoming  and  later  a  resident  of  Kansas  City. 
Mrs.  Scott  has  travelled  extensively  throughout  the 
length  and  breadth  of  the  country,  becoming  thereby 
acquainted  with  the  varying  conditions  of  the  different 
sections  of  the  national  domain.  In  these  maturer  years 
of  her  life  she  continues  to  be  the  same  useful  and  helpful 
member  of  society  as  ever,  and  her  interest  in  general 
affairs  is  as  keen  as  in  her  girlhood  years. 


412 


JOHN  H.  NEAL,  M.D. 


JOHN  H.  NEAL,  M.  D. 

One  of  the  younger  and  most  successful  of  New 
Hampshire's  many  physicians  is  John  H.  Neal,  M.  D., 
of  Rochester,  the  son  of  John  and  Sarah  J.  (Lord) 
Neal,  who  was  born  March  20,  1862,  in  Parsonsfield,  Me. 
Dr.  Neal  received  his  education  in  the  public  schools  of 
his  native  town  and  at  the  academy  at  North  Parsons- 
field.  Following  his  graduation  from  that  institution  he 
was  for  five  years  a  teacher  in  the  public  schools  of  Maine 
and  New  Hampshire,  at  the  same  time  being  entered  as  a 
medical  student  in  the  office  of  J.  M.  Leavitt,  M.  D.,  of 
Efringham.  He  began  his  professional  school  work  at 
the  Bowdoin  Medical  school,  Brunswick,  Me.,  where  he 
took  one  course  of.  lectures  and  received  his  degree  in 
June,  1886,  at  the  Long  Island  Cottage  hospital,  Brook- 
lyn, N.  Y. 

Dr.  Neal  immediately  entered  upon  the  practice  of  his 
profession  in  Sanford,  Me.,  where  he  remained  for  nine 
years,  at  the  end  of  which  time  he  removed  to  Rochester, 
New  Hampshire,  where  he  has  established  himself  in  a 
lucrative  and  extensive  practice.  During  his  residence  in 
Sanford,  Dr.  Neal  took  an  active  interest  in  public  affairs, 
and  for  five  years  was  president  of  the  Sanford  board  of 
health.  He  was  the  first  president  of  the  Sanford  build- 
ing and  loan  association,  which  was  chartered  in  1890, 
holding  that  office  until  his  removal  from  the  town  and 
state. 

In  Rochester,  Dr.  Neal  has  been  equally  interested  in 


STATE  BUILDERS 

affairs  pertaining  to  the  public  good,  and  is  at  the  present 
time  a  director  of  the  Rochester  board  of  trade. 

In  politics  Dr.  Neal  has  also  been  active,  and  in  Nov- 
ember, 1902,  he  was  elected  by  the  Republicans  of  his 
district  to  represent  them  in  the  state  senate  of  1903.  In 
1897,  he  was  appointed  a  member  of  the  United  States 
board  of  pension  examining  surgeons,  which  position  he 
still  holds.  He  is  a  member  of  the  American  Medical 
society,  of  the  medical  associations  of  Maine  and  New 
Hampshire,  of  the  Maine  academy  of  medicine  and 
science,  of  the  Strafford  county  medical  society.  Of  the 
latter  organization  Dr.  Neal  is  now  president. 

He  is  Medical  Referee  for  Strafford  county,  being  the 
first  appointed  in  the  county  as  a  result  of  the  law  of 
1903  abolishing  the  office  of  Coroner  and  establishing 
that  of  Medical  Referee  instead. 

For  seven  years  he  was  secretary  of  the  Rochester 
board  of  health  and  overseer  of  poor  for  seven  years, 
from  which  position  he  resigned  in  July,  1903. 

Dr.  Neal  is  a  member  of  Preble  lodge  of  Masons  in 
Sanford,  and  is  charter  member  of  White  Rose  chapter, 
Royal  Arch  Masons  in  Sanford,  and  a  charter  member  of 
Palestine  commandery,  Knights  Templar,  Rochester.  Of 
this  commandery  Dr.  Neal  was  the  first  secretary. 

He  married  Nov.  28,  1888,  Miss  Lulu  Edna  Clark, 
daughter  of  Daniel  G.  and  Frances  J.  (Chase)  Clark,  of 
Sanford.  and  has  one  child;  a  son,  Cecil  M.  Neal,  born 
Oct.  25,  1890. 


414 


CAPT.  DAVID  WADSWORTH 


CAPT.  DAVID  WADSWORTH. 

Captain  David  Wadsworth  of  Manchester  was  born  in 
Worcester,  Mass.,  February  4,  1838,  the  son  of  David  and 
Caroline  E.  (Metcalf)  Wadsworth.  He  was  educated 
at  Cambridgeboro  and  Richford,  Vt,  and  Nashua,  On 
the  breaking  out  of  the  Civil  War  he  enlisted  with  the 
Third  New  Hampshire  volunteers  from  Nashua,  entering 
the  service  as  a  private  and  being  promoted  to  sergeant, 
second  lieutenant,  first  lieutenant  and  captain.  He  served 
in  Sherman's  expedition  through  the  South  and  in  the 
Army  of  the  James,  taking  part  in  fifteen  battles.  He 
was  wounded  at  Drury's  Bluff  and  received  an  honorable 
discharge  September  28,  1864. 

The  captain's  wonderful  memory  vividly  recalls  the 
important  events  of  the  war  and  this  is  augmented  by  a 
concise  record  book  of  his  company,  kept  by  its  clerk,  and 
now  held  by  the  captain.  He  has  assisted  many  a  worthy 
comrade  to  identify  himself  with  the  service  and  obtain 
justice  by  this  same  record.  One  of  Captain  Wads- 
worth's  favorite  anecdotes  oi  the  \var  is  as  follows  : 

At  Morris  Island,  after  we  had  laid  siege  to  Fort  Wag- 
ner for  three  weeks,  we  twice  advanced  on  the  enemy  and 
were  repulsed.  One  night  Captain  Randlett,  no<w  of  the 
regular  army,  aroused  the  Third  New  Hampshire  from 
their  slumbers  and  informed  them  of  the  important  part 
they  were  to  play  in  the  destruction  of  the  fort.  They 
were  to  lay  in  the  trenches  all  night  and  in  the  morning, 
when  the  signal  was  given,  they  were  to  leap  over  their 


STATE  BUILDERS 

works  and  spike  the  guns  on  Fort  Wagner  while  the  rest 
of  the  troops  came  forward  to  take  the  fort.  This  little 
regiment  of  less  than  100  men  was  thus  truly  a  forlorn 
hope. 

In  the  morning  it  was  discovered  that  the  enemy  had 
deserted  the  fort.  Before  leaving  they  had  set  fire  to  the 
fuse  of  the  magazine,  but  the  prompt  action  of  the  New 
Hampshire  men  frustrated  the  plot.  They  got  there  just 
in  time  to  cut  the  fuse  and  thus  effect  the  capture  of  the 
fort  without  loss  of  life. 

Captain  Wadsworth  is  a  locksmith  by  trade,  and  pre- 
vious to-  1877  was  employed  by  the  Nashua  Lock  Com- 
pany. In  that  year  he  was  appointed  jailer  for  Hillsbor- 
ough  county  and  took  charge  of  the  new  jail  built  by  the 
county  at  Manchester.  There  he  has  ever  since  remained, 
conducting  a  model  penal  institution,  a  credit  to-  the  coun- 
ty and  to  himself 

A  Republican  in  politics,  Capt.  Wadsworth  was  a 
member  of  the  state  legislature  from  Nashua  during  the 
sessions  of  1875-76,  and  was  chairman  of  the  Committee 
on  Military  Accounts,  Representative  from  ward  6,  Man- 
chester, state  legislature,  sessions  of  1893-94,  being 
chairman  of  the  Committee  on  County  Affairs.  He 
attends  the  Baptist  church  and  is  a  member  of  John  G. 
Foster  post,  G.  A.  R. 

January  5,  1860,  he  married  Sarah  A.,  daughter  of 
Laban  Moore  of  Nashua.  She  died  June  10,  1866. 
January  18,  1873,  he  married  Mrs.  Mary  E.  Buel,  daugh- 
ter of  Benjamin  Lund  of  Milford.  They  have  one  daugh- 
ter, who  is  Mrs.  Carl  Anderson  of  Manchester.  Captain 
Wadsworth  is  a  man  of  wide  acquaintance  and  great 
popularity,  secured  and  held  by  his  genial  disposition  and 
strict  integrity. 


416 


EDSON  HILL 


EDSON  HILL. 

A  career  that  is  replete  with  valued  lessons  to  the 
young,  with  interest  to  the  general  reader,  and  one  the 
story  of  which  adds  an  honored  page  to  the  history  of 
New  Hampshire,  is  that  of  Edson  Hill,  whose  busy  and 
eventful  life  came  to  a  close  in  1888. 

Mr.  Hill  was  born  in  the  town  of  Northwood,  Sep- 
tember 13,  1807,  being  the  eighth  child  of  Samuel  and 
Judith  Hill.  They  were  of  the  staunch  old  New  England 
stock  who  believed  in  right  and  fought  for  it,  and  who 
imbued  their  descendants  with  the  force  of  character  that 
made  them  leaders  in  enterprises  which  command  the 
attention  of  men.  The  grandfather  of  Edson  Hill  was 
a  soldier  of  the  American  Revolution.  At  the  beginning 
of  that  conflict  for  the  independence  of  the  American 
colonies  he  repaired  to  Fort  Constitution  at  Portsmouth, 
with  musket  in  hand  in  defence  of  home,  state  and  coun- 
try. 

Young  Hill  received  the  advantages  of  a  common 
school  education  and  then  went  to  live  with  Judge  Har- 
vey, who  had  conceived  a  great  liking  for  the  young 
man,  and  who  was  willing  to  give  him  the  benefit  of  his 
powerful  influence.  Judge  Harvey  was  one  of  the 
prominent  men,  not  only  of  his  own  community,  but 
of  the  state.  The  prestige  of  such  a  man  went  far 
towards  establishing  the  young  man's  position  in  life, 
and  hence  it  is  not  strange  to  find  him  elevated  as  soon  as 
he  reached  his  majority  to  positions  of  influence  and 


STATE  BUILDERS 

responsibility  in  his  native  town.  During  his  residence 
in  Northwood  he  was  elected  town  clerk,  moderator,  and 
town  agent.  In  1836  and  1837  he  served  as  selectman, 
and  in  1839  and  1840  represented  the  town  in  the  Legis- 
lature. In  addition  to  holding  these  positions  of  trust 
and  importance  he  was  nominated  and  confirmed  as  post- 
master, filling  the  office  very  satisfactorily  during  a  term 
of  years.  In  1840  Mr.  Hill  removed  to  Newmarket,  and 
was  soon  after  elected  treasurer  of  Rockingham  County, 
holding  the  office  for  two  years,  1841  and  1842.  In 
1843  ne  went  to  Manchester  and  at  once  engaged  in  the 
grocery  business  with  J.  Monroe  Berry,  their  store 
having  been  located  in  the  Tewksbury  Block,  the  upper 
stories  of  which  were  then  occupied  by  St.  Paul's  Metho- 
dist Episcopal  Church.  Under  the  firm  name  of  Hill 
&  Berry  this  business  continued  until  1850,  when  Mr. 
Hill  removed  to  Concord  and  the  firm  was  dissolved. 
During  this  time  his  fellow  citizens  had  taken  the  occa- 
sion to  honor  him  with  an  election  to  the  state  Legislat- 
ure, serving  during  the  sessions  of  1849  and  1850. 
Previously  to  this  in  1847  he  had  acted  as  engrossing 
clerk  of  that  body. 

The  Amoskeag  bank  was  incorporated  by  the  state 
June  24,  1848,  and  began  business  in  October  with  a 
capitalization  of  $100,000.  At  the  first  meeting,  Octo- 
ber 2,  Mr.  Hill  was  elected  one  of  the  directors,  his 
associates  being  Richard  H.  Ayer,  Samuel  D.  Berry, 
Mace  Moulton,  Stephen  B.  Green,  John  S.  Kidder  and 
Stephen  Manahan.  When  this  bank  was  merged  into 
the  Amoskeag  National  Bank,  1864,  he  was  elected 
director  in  the  new  institution,  a  position  he  held  to  the 
day  of  his  death.  This  fact  is  an  excellent  criterion  of 
the  financial  standing  and  integrity  of  Mr.  Hill. 

After  Mr.  Hill's  removal  to  Concord  he  was  chosen 
state  treasurer,  an  office  he  held  during  the  years  1850, 

418 


STATE  BUILDERS 

1851  and  1852.  In  1853  the  State  Capital  bank  was 
organized  and  Mr.  Hill  was  selected  as  its  first  cashier, 
a  position  he  filled  with  eminent  satisfaction  to 
the  officials  for  many  years  following.  During  his  resi- 
dence at  Concord  he  served  in  the  board  of  aldermen 
and  as  a  councillor,  but  his  connection  with  the  bank  pre- 
cluded the  active  connection  with  political  life  which 
he  had  previously  maintained. 

In  1867  he  returned  to  Manchester  and  bought  the 
house  on  the  corner  of  Walnut  and  Concord  streets,  in 
which  he  ever  after  lived  and  where  he  died.  Here 
he  passed  his  declining  years  in  the  enjoyment  of  a  mu- 
nificence that  careful  business  management,  shrewd  finan- 
cial foresight  and  years  of  industry  and  strictest  integrity 
had  enabled  him  to  accumulate.  Three  years  after  the 
removal  to  Manchester  he  was  returned  to  the  State 
Legislature  from  his  ward,  and  in  1876  he  was  one  of 
the  electors  on  Tilden  and  Hendricks'  ticket  from  the 
state.  This  was  the  last  political  position  of  prominence 
for  which  Mr.  Hill  was  nominated.  His  business  inter- 
ests monopolized  his  attention  from  this  time  on. 
Among  other  positions  of  trust  which  he  held  during  his 
second  residence  in  the  city  of  Manchester  may  be  named 
that  of  director  in  the  Concord  railroad,  director  in  the 
Amoskeag  bank,  trustee  in  the  Amoskeag  and  People's 
Savings  banks.  During  his  lifetime  he  was  associated 
with  the  late  Austin  Corbin,  the  eminent  banker  and 
prominent  also  in  his  day  as  president  of  the  great  Read- 
ing railroad  system.  Another  well-known  public  man 
with  whom  he  maintained  a  lifelong  acquaintance  and 
intimacy  was  the  late  General  Benjamin  F.  Butler,  who 
was  a  native  of  Deerfield.  During  those  years  when  Mr. 
Hill  held  the  office  of  town  agent  in  Northwood,  Gen- 
eral Butler  filled  the  same  position  in  his  native  town, 
and  in  a  controversy  which  arose  over  the  disposition  of 

419 


STATE  BUILDERS 

certain  dependent  poor  in  which  both  towns  were  inter- 
ested, Mr.  Hill  came  off  victorious.  General  Butler 
always  remembered  the  incident  and  frequently  alluded 
to  it. 

For  many  years  Mr.  Hill  was  a  member  of  the  First 
Baptist  church  of  Manchester  and  for  some  time  was 
president  of  the  society.  In  1832  he  married  Olive  Jane, 
daughter  of  Nathaniel  Durgin  of  Northwood.  She  sur- 
vived him  but  a  few  months,  dying  in  1888,  leaving  two 
children,  the  late  Charles  H.  Hill  and  Mrs.  Flora  Hill 
Barton  of  this  city,  who  at  this  writing  (1903)  is  the 
sole  survivor  of  the  family.  After  the  close  of  the  na- 
tional political  campaign  of  1876,  Mr.  Hill  gradually 
withdrew  from  his  old  political  scenes  and  associations, 
in  which  he  for  so  many  years  had  held  an  honored  and 
prominent  place.  During  the  later  years  of  life  it  was 
his  custom  to  pass  his  winters  in  the  South,  living  during 
the  summers  at  some  of  the  numerous  Northern  seaside 
resorts.  He  met  his  end  calmly  and  peacefully,  as  was 
to  have  been  expected  of  such  a  mind.  Throughout  his 
manhood  life,  Mr.  Hill  was  a  strong,  influential  and  sturdy 
adherent  of  the  Democratic  party  and  those  principles 
which  were  so  grandly  typified  in  the  life  and  character 
of  Andrew  Jackson.  His  long,  busy  and  useful  life  will 
be  a  treasured  memory  of  those  whose  good  fortune  it 
was  to  be  included  among  his  acquaintances. 


420 


NATHANIEL  WHITE 


NATHANIEL  WHITE. 

Nathaniel  White,  the  subject  of  this  sketch,  typified  in 
his  long,  useful  and  sincere  life  that  manhood  character 
that  was  the  chiefest  glory  of  New  England  throughout 
the  nineteenth  century.  Born  in  the  town  of  Lancaster 
on  February  7,  1811,  he  was  the  eldest  son  of  Samuel 
and  Sarah  (Freeman)  White.  His  childhood  was 
passed  under  a  mother's  tender  care,  and  to  her  strict 
religious  training  was  he  primarily  indebted  for  that 
nobility  of  character  w.hich  the  temptations  of  youth 
and  young  manhood  could  not  taint  nor  lure  away.  His 
school-day  life  was  passed  in  the  gleaning  of  such  knowl- 
edge as  the  schools  of  his  native  town  afforded,  in  those 
earlier  years  of  the  nineteenth  century.  At  the  age  of 
fourteen  years  he  left  his  native  Lancaster  to  enter  the 
employ  of  a  merchant  in  Lunenburg,  Vermont,  with 
whom  he  remained  about  one  year,  when  he  accepted  an 
offer  to  enter  the  employ  of  General  John  Wilson  of 
Lancaster,  at  that  time  just  entered  upon  his  career  as 
landlord  of  the  Columbian  Hotel  of  Concord.  In  the 
employ  of  Mr.  Wilson  he  began  his  Concord  life  at  the 
first  rung  of  the  ladder,  as  it  were,  for  he  arrived  in  the 
capital  city  August  25,  1826,  with  but  a  single  shilling 
in  his  pocket.  For  five  years  he  continued  at  the  Colonial 
Hotel,  and  in  these  remaining  five  years  of  his  teens  it 
was  his  custom  to  render  a  strict  account  of  his  wages 
to  his  parents,  but  the  dimes  and  quarters  given  to  him 
as  favors  by  the  hotel  guests  he  saved  as  his  own,  and 

421 


STATE  BUILDERS 

these  savings  had  amounted  to  $250  upon  the  day  of 
his  majority.  The  young  man  exemplified  those  virtues 
of  prudence,  economy  and  temperance,  and  he  entered 
manhood  well  equipped  for  that  career  in  which  he  so 
distinguished  himself.  He  never  used  intoxicating 
drinks  as  a  beverage,  nor  tobacco  in  any  form,  nor  did  he 
gamble  in  any  of  the  ways  prevalent  at  the  time.  Busi- 
ness was  his  pleasure,  and  to  his  business  he  carried  en- 
terprise, energy  and  determination.  In  1832  he  made 
his  first  business  venture  by  purchasing  a  part  interest  in 
the  stage  route  between  Concord  and  Hanover,  and  dur- 
ing a  part  of  this  business  venture  he  drove  his  own 
coach.  This  first  business  venture  was  a  significant  suc- 
cess, and  soon  after  he  bought  an  interest  in  the  stage 
route  between  Concord  and  Lowell.  In  1838  he  joined 
with  Captain  William  Walker  and  together  they  began  the 
express  business  now  grown  to  such  large  proportions  in 
New  England.  At  the  beginning  of  this  enterprise  it 
was  his  custom  to  make  three  trips  weekly  to  Boston, 
where  he  personally  attended  to  the  delivery  of  packages 
of  goods  and  money  or  the  transacting  of  other  business 
intrusted  to  him.  In  1842,  the  year  of  the  opening  of 
the  Concord  railroad,  he  became  one  of  the  original  or- 
ganizers of  the  express  company  which  was  then  estab- 
lished to  deliver  goods  throughout  New  Hampshire  and 
Canada.  That  company  under  various  names  has  con- 
tinued in  successful  operation  to  the  present  day,  and  to 
Nathaniel  White's  business  capacity  has  it  been  greatly 
indebted  for  its  remarkable  success.  In  1846  Mr.  White 
purchased  a  farm  in  the  southwestern  portion  of  the  city 
of  Concord  and  distance  some  two  miles  from  the  State 
House.  All  told,  this  farm  included  something  like  400 
acres  of  land. 

For  Concord  he  ever  had  a  strong  attachment.     To 
his  energy,  skill  and  business  discernment  does  the  city 

422 


STATE  BUILDERS 

owe  much  of  her  material  prosperity  and  corporate  de- 
.velopment.  In  1852,  he  took  his  first  step  in  practical 
political  life  by  accepting  a  nomination  of  the  Whig  and 
Free  Soilers  to  represent  his  adopted  city  in  the  state 
Legislature.  From  the  start  he  was  an  abolitionist  and 
a  member  of  the  Anti-Slavery  society  from  its  inception. 
His  home  became  the  refuge  of  many  an  escaping  slave, 
where  welcome  care,  food  and  money  were  freely  be- 
stowed and  the  refugees  helped  along  on  another  stage 
of  their  journey  to  the  land  of  freedom.  In  all  works  of 
charity  and  philanthropy,  Mr.  White  \vas  foremost  and 
earnest.  He  was  deeply  interested  and  prominently 
identified  with  the  New  Hampshire  Asylum  for  the  In- 
sane and  State  Reform  School;  in  the  Orphans'  Home 
in  Franklin,  which  he  liberally  endowed,  and  the  Home 
for  the  Aged  at  Concord  was  his  special  care.  Besides 
his  extensive  interest  in  the  express  company,  his  farm, 
which  had  become  one  of  the  most  highly  cultivated  in 
the  state,  his  charming  summer  home  on  the  borders  of 
Lake  Sunapee,  and  his  real  estate  in  Concord,  he  became 
extensively  interested  in  Chicago  realty;  in  hotel  prop- 
erty in  the  mountain  district;  in  banks,  manufacturing 
and  in  shipping.  He  was  director  in  the  Manchester 
and  Lawrence,  Franconia  and  Profile  House,  and  the 
Mt.  Washington  railways,  and  in  the  National  State  Cap- 
ital bank;  a  trustee  of  the  Loan  and  Trust  Savings  bank, 
also  of  the  Reform  School,  Home  for  the  Aged  and  other 
private  and  public  trusts.  In  1875  he  was  the  candidate 
for  Governor  of  New  Hampshire  of  the  Prohibition 
party.  In  1876  he  was  a  delegate  of  the  Cincin- 
nati convention  which  nominated  Hayes  for  President 
and  cast  every  ballot  for  the  man  of  his  choice.  In  the 
Garfield  and  Arthur  campaign  in  1880  his  name  was 
placed  at  the  head  of  the  list  of  the  New  Hampshire 
presidential  electors. 

423 


STATE  BUILDERS 

November  i,  1836,  Mr.  White  married  Armenia  S., 
daughter  of  John  Aldrich  of  Boscawen.  This  marriage 
proved  most  happy.  Of  Mr.  White  it  has  been  said: 
"His  history  is  not  complete  without  a  narration  of  the 
perfect  union,  complete  confidence  and  mutual  trust  and 
assistance  between  he  and  his  wife  during  a  married  life 
of  nearly  half  a  century."  Mrs.  White  in  this  year  of 
1903  is  still  living,  the  subject  of  love  and  veneration  by 
a  wide  circle  of  acquaintances  and  by  the  entire  popula- 
tion of  the  city  of  Concord.  Mr.  White  died  October  2, 
1880,  having  practically  completed  the  Psalmist's  al- 
lotted span  of  life.  The  Concord  Daily  Monitor  under 
date  of  October  2,  1880,  in  commenting  upon  the  death  of 
Mr.  White,'  said :  "In  the  death  of  Nathaniel  White  this 
community  sustains  an  irreparable  loss.  Large  hearted, 
humane,  liberal  and  progressive,  he  gave  to  every  good 
work,  local  and  state,  his  assistance  and  unstinted  sup- 
port. Devoted  to  the  welfare  of  Concord  he  employed 
his  wealth  for  the  enhancement  of  its  prosperity.  His 
public  spirit  extended  throughout  the  state  and  the  de- 
velopment of  its  resources.  A  good  man  has  gone  to 
his  reward  and  it  can  be  truly  said  that  the  world  is 
better  for  the  part  he  bore  in  it." 


424 


JOSEPH  P.  CHATEL 


JOSEPH  P.  CHATEL. 

Conspicuous  among  the  residents  of  New  Hampshire 
who  are  of  French-Canadian  birth  or  descent  is  Joseph 
P.  Chatel  of  Manchester.  He  was  born  in  the  town  of 
Stuckley,  Province  of  Quebec,  January  14,  1854,  the  son 
of  Prosper  and  Leibaire  Chatel.  When  the  son  was 
eight  years  old  the  family  removed  to  Biddeford,  Maine. 
In  1868  the  son  went,  alone  of  the  family,  to  Manchester 
and  obtained  employment  in  the  Manchester  mills,  and 
remained  at  this  work  for  six  months,  subsequently 
returning  to  Biddeford,  and  living  there  until  1870.  His 
father  having  died  in  the  meantime  the  family  decided 
to  locate  permanently  in  Manchester,  which  city  since 
that  year,  1870,  has  been  its  home. 

Young  Chatel  upon  his  second  arrival  in  Manchester 
re-entered  one  of  the  city's  mills,  remaining  therein  for 
some  two  years.  Alert  to  the  opportunities  of  life  in 
Manchester  and  ambitious  to  better  his  circumstances,  he 
left  the  factory  and  served  an  apprenticeship  to  the 
barber's  trade,  and  shortly  after  its  close  established  a 
business  of  his  own  and  conducted  the  same  for  some 
eighteen  years  with  a  never  varying  success. 

Having  accumulated  a  handsome  property  Mr.  Chatel 
gave  up  his  original  business  and  uniting  with  a  friend 
embarked  in  the  grocery  business,  also  in  Manchester. 
After  a  while  financial  disaster  overtook  this  venture, 
ending  in  its  complete  windup.  On  his  retirement  from 
the  grocery  business  he  found  himself  encumbered  with 

425 


STATE  BUILDERS 

an  ^ndebtedness,  which  with  its  interest  accumulation 
eventually  amounted  to  some  $3,400.  He  went  to  work 
as  a  travelling  salesman,  for  a  Boston  house  and  con- 
tinued as  such  for  two  years.  Not  the  least  discouraged 
by  his  ill-fated  venture  in  the  grocery  trade,  he  lost  no 
opportunity  to  enlarge  his  business  acquaintanceship  and 
to  gain  friends.  At  the  close  of  his  two  years  as  a 
salesman  he  again  started  in  business  for  himself,  open- 
ing a  wine  store  on  Manchester  street  in  1894.  This 
business  has  proved  from  its  inception  a  decided  success. 
In  the  years  since  its  inception  Mr.  Chatel  has  paid 
every  dollar  with  interest  simple  and  compound,  incurred 
while  operating  his  grocery  stofe.  His  trade  relations 
reach  into  all  parts  of  New  Hampshire  and  each  year 
has  brought  an  increased  list  of  patrons.  Possessing 
to  a  marked  degree  business  qualifications  that  keep  him 
abreast  of  the  times  he  is  found  aiding  at  all  times 
enterprises  designed  to  augment  the  business  and  mate- 
rial well-being  of  the  city,  and  for  these  and  other  good 
qualities  he  is  esteemed  by  all. 

In  1898  Mr.  Chatel  was  put  forward  as  the  Demo- 
cratic candidate  for  senator  in  the  Eighteenth  District, 
was  elected  by  a  majority  of  344  over  a  strong  opposi- 
tion candidate,  and  in  January,  1899,  took  his  seat  in  the 
Senate  Chamber  at  Concord,  being  the  first  citizen  of 
French  Canadian  birth  to  hold  the  position  of  senator  in 
New  Hampshire,  and,  it  is  believed,  in  the  United  States. 
While  Mr.  Chatel  has  always  taken  a  deep  interest  in 
the  welfare  of  the  great  body  of  his  countrymen,  who, 
like  himself,  have  become  American  citizens,  he  has, 
in  the  larger  and  broader  view,  been  actively  interested 
in  all  that  concerned  the  progress  and  prosperity  of  his 
city  and  state.  In  all  his  private  and  social  relations, 
he  is  genial,  generous  and  a  firm  friend.  Business 
success  has  in  no  way  changed  him  in  his  attitude  toward 

426 


STATE  BUILDERS 

others,  and  in  return  he  enjoys  a  well-earned  popularity 
such  as  is  rarely  attained  in  any  condition  in  life. 

Mr.  Chatel  is  a  member  of  the  Foresters  and  at  this 
present  writing  (1903)  is  the  president  of  the  St.  John 
Baptist  society  of  Manchester. 

He  was  married  in  1873  to  Miss  Hedwige  Brien  oi: 
Manchester.  They  have  four  living  children,  two  sons 
and  two  daughters.  The  eldest  son,  Alfred  V.,  is  a 
graduate  of  a  Montreal  commercial  college,  while  the 
second  son,  Louis  A.,  is  a  Junior  in  St.  Anselm  college, 
Manchester.  The  elder  daughter,  Edwige,  is  a  graduate 
of  Jesus  and  Mary  convent,  Manchester,  while  the 
second  daughter,  Anna  Josephine,  is  a  pupil  in  Notre 
Dame  academy. 


427 


GEORGE  M.  CLOUGH. 

George  M.  Clough  was  born  in  Warner,  N.  H., 
May  28,  1863.  His  parents  were  Julia  A.  (Edmunds) 
and  Joseph  A.  Clough.  One  of  his  ancestors  on  the 
paternal  side  served  in  the  Revolutionary  war  and 
another  in  the  War  of  1812. 

Having  been  born  on  a  farm  and  his  father  devoting 
much  time  to  carpentry,  gave  to  the  young  man  many 
advantages  not  afforded  in  the  busy  city  life.  He  early 
became  acquainted  with  the  art  of  training  steers,  caring 
for  sheep,  holding  the  plow  and  mowing,  as  well  as 
making  friends  with  the  circular  saw  and  turning  lathe. 
He  attended  the  "district  school"  in  his  locality,  when  in 
session,  and  the  "village  school"  in  winter.  Soon  after 
entering  the  Simonds  Free  High  school  he  became  inter- 
ested in  land  surveying  and  pursued  the  study  and  prac- 
tised some  years.  His  high  school  training  was  supple- 
mented by  private  instruction. 

When  eighteen  years  old  he  began  teaching  school  in 
his  native  town,  continuing  for  two  years.  Webster 
next  secured  him  for  a  term,  and  then  he  went  to 
Canterbury,  remaining  two  years.  At  this  time  he  was 
offered  several  positions  but  selected  the  principalship 
of  the  Union  school  in  Tilton,  N.  H.,  where  he  remained 
for  two  years. 

Mr.  Clough  has  always  been  interested  in  schools  and 
is  now  president  of  the  Simonds  Free  High  School 
Association  (incorporated),  of  Warner,  N.  H.,  the 

428 


GEORGE  M.  CLOUGH 


STATE  BUILDERS 

objects  of  which  are  to  broaden  the  school's  influence 
and  aid  in  its  development.  He  is  president  of  the 
Somerville  Sons  &  Daughters  of  New  Hampshire, 
which  has  a  large  membership  and  is  doing  much  to  turn 
the  attention  of  her  native  sons  and  daughters  back  to 
their  early  homes.  He  is  a  charter  member  of  the  New 
Hampshire  Exchange  Club,  recently  organized  in 
Boston,  Mass. 

In  1888  Mr.  Clough  decided  to  discontinue  teaching 
and  enter  the  field  of  life  insurance.  After  months  of 
careful  study  he  became  connected  with  the  Boston  office 
of  The  Penn  Mutual  Life  Insurance  Company,  of 
Philadelphia,  with  which  company  he  still  remains. 

He  married  Anna  G.  Gale,  of  Canterbury,  N.  H., 
who  passed  away  in  February,  1903,  being  survived  by 
three  children,  Gertrude  G.,  Portia  E.  and  Maurice. 


429 


MRS.   MARY   F.   BERRY. 

The  pages  of  New  Hampshire  history  contain  nothing 
of  deeper  interest,  neither  records  more  brilliantly  il- 
lumined than  those  which  narrate  the  part  which  the 
women  have  taken  in  the  upbuilding  of  the  state,  from 
the  first  to  the  present  year  of  its  political  existence.  To 
make  society  and  the  state  stronger  and  more  progressive 
by  means  of  a  more  highly  developed  humanity  has  ever 
been  the  especial  field  of  effort  in  which  these  women,  the 
devoted,  loyal,  God-fearing  "Ruths"  of  New  Hampshire, 
have  gleaned  and  toiled  for  the  common  store. 

Intellectual  power  and  attainment,  with  religion  as  its 
basis  and  source  of  supply,  has  been  the  self-chosen  goal 
for  which  the  women  of  the  state  in  all  the  generations 
have  striven.  There  is  no  form  or  phase  of  intellectual 
activity  in  which  they  have  not  engaged,  and  that  with 
signal  success. 

In  Mary  F.  Berry  is  found  a  genuinely  representative 
type  of  the  New  Hampshire  woman,  legion  in  number, 
who  has  made  herself  a  power  in  formulating  and  ad- 
vancing the  thought  and  progress  of  the  community 
during  the  past  twenty-five  years.  She  has  been  a  woman 
with  a  vocation  and  an  avocation,  and  throughout  has 
shown  that  she  possessed  a  versatility  of  talent  that  en- 
abled her  to  win  success  in  any  undertaking  she  essayed. 
She  has  that  individuality,  originality,  and  personality 
that  leads  her  to  be  herself  and  not  the  reflection  of  an- 
other or  others.  Her  singleness  of  purpose  has  made 
her  a  woman  of  convictions  and  never  has  she  failed  to 
have  the  courage  of  those  convictions. 

Mrs.  Berry  was  born  Mary  F.  Mitchell  and  her  birth- 
place was  Hooksett.  Her  parents  were  John  H.  and  Mary 
G.  (Jones)  Mitchell.  Her  school-day  life  was  passed  in 

430 


MRS.  MARY  F.  BERRY 


STATE  BUILDERS 

the  common  schools  of  her  town  and  at  Pembroke  acad- 
emy. From  her  native  Hooksett  she  went  to  Massa- 
chusetts, settling  finally  in  Stoneham.  A  chief  event  in 
her  life  while  there  was  the  entering  upon  a  mercantile 
career  in  association  with  a  woman  friend.  The  two 
associates  embarked  in  their  enterprise  without  capital 
but  with  a  credit  of  three  thousand  dollars  with  the  firm's 
word  alone  as  security.  The  enterprise  prospered  and  it 
Rvas  not  long  ere  all  financial  obligations  were  liqui- 
dated. 

It  was  while  engaged  in  operating  her  store  that  Mrs. 
Berry  first  heard  that  the  attention  of  the  world  was 
called  to  a  new  interpretation  of  the  Bible,  and  that  the 
promulgation  of  this  new  idea,  destined  to  speedily  be- 
come a  tremendous  power,  was  by  a  woman,  and  she  also 
a  daughter  of  the  Granite  State.  Her  naturally  inquiring 
and  searching  mentality  and  her  innate  power  to  grasp 
.and  fathom  ideas  led  her  to  take  into  consideration  the 
declarations  and  conclusions  of  the  new  teacher,  the  dis- 
coverer of  the  fact  that  "all  causation  is  mind";  the 
founder  of  the  church,  Mrs.  Mary  Baker  G.  Eddy,  holding 
this  tenet  as  a  great  fundamental.  There  was  that  in 
the  new  interpretation  and  reading  of  the  Scriptures  that 
appealed  to  the  heart  and  mind  of  Mrs.  Berry,  but  she 
did  not  accept  and  espouse  the  teaching  of  Mrs.  Eddy 
without  most  careful  and  conclusive  investigation  and 
reflection. 

Having  become  a  believer  in  Christian  Science  mind- 
healing  as  formulated  by  Mrs.  Eddy,  she  entered  upon 
the  work  with  all  that  zeal,  love  of  purpose,  and 
enthusiasm  that  have  ever  been  characteristic  of  her.  She 
became  a  pupil  of  Mrs.  Eddy  as  early  as  1882  and  at  the 
conclusion  of  the  prescribed  course  of  study  she  returned 
to  her  native  New  Hampshire  with  the  determined  pur- 
pose, and  as  the  first  pioneer,  of  planting  the  new  religion 
in  the  land  of  her  fathers.  She  settled  in  Manchester,  and 
bravely,  yet  in  a  womanly  manner,  raised  the  banner  of 

43 * 


STATE  BUILDERS 

her  faith  and  spiritual  principles.  This  was  in  the  fall 
of  1882,  and  from  that  year  to  the  present  her  heart  has 
never  failed  her  nor  her  faith  laxed  an  iota  in  its  zeal 
and  devotion.  The  religion  she  taught  was  one  that  in- 
cluded the  healing  of  physical  illness  as  well  as  the  lifting 
up  of  the  spiritual  being.  Success  is  the  record  of  Mrs. 
Berry's  twenty  years'  work  in  Manchester.  The  sole 
pioneer  in  the  state  at  first,  she  soon  gathered  about  her 
men  and  women  of  Manchester  who  accepted  the  new 
way  of  serving  their  Maker  and  mankind.  Soon  a  read- 
ing-room was  engaged  only  to  be  given  up  for  a  still 
larger  one.  Outside  lecturers  and  teachers  came  at  vary- 
ing periods  to  help  the  Manchester  members  and  eventu- 
ally the  decision  to  build  a  church  was  reached.  In  1898, 
a  lot  for  the  proposed  new  church  was  bought  for  forty- 
five  hundred  dollars.  In  1900  plans  for  the  construction 
of  the  church  edifice  began  to  be  considered,  but  it  was 
not  until  1901  that  the  actual  work  of  construction  be- 
gan. A  charter  for  the  first  "Church  of  Christ,  Sci- 
entist," in  New  Hampshire,  had  been  obtained  in  1894 
with  twenty-three  charter  members.  The  handsome  edi- 
fice begun  in  1901  was  dedicated  with  appropriate  ser- 
vices on  Sunday,  January  n,  1903.  The  dedication 
was  made  possible  from  the  fact  that  the  cost  of 
building  had  been  met  to  the  uttermost  cent.  This  re- 
markable result  was  greatly  aided  by  a  generous  bequest 
from  a  departed  sister.  The  total  expense  was  about 
fourteen  thousand  dollars.  The  edifice  is  so  built  as  to 
make  an  enlargement  easily  practicable  to  a  seating 
capacity  of  eight  hundred. 

At  the  dedicatory  services  Mrs.  Berry  read  an  inter- 
esting history  of  the  work  in  Manchester,  and  she  was 
likewise  one  of  the  board  of  trustees  that  supervised  the 
erection  of  the  church. 

Aside  from  her  church  affiliations  Mrs.  Berry  is  active 
and  prominent  in  all  that  has  to  do  with  the  advancement 
of  the  material  interests  of  her  home  city. 

432 


JOHN  GAULT 


JOHN   GAULT. 

The  history  of  New  Hampshire  in  all  its  extended  and 
varied  range  presents  no  single  aspect  that  exceeds  in 
general  interest,  that  more  entertainingly  and  forcibly 
illustrates  the  enduring  influence  of  a  strong  and  well 
mannered  human  life,  or  that  presents  in  a  clearer  man- 
ner the  grandeur  of  an  idea  having  for  its  sole  foundation 
the  uplifting  of  the  individual  man,  than  does  that  page 
which  tells  of  the  coming  in  the  eighteenth  century,  for 
the  purpose  of  permanent  abode,  of  the  Scotch  and  the 
Scotch-Irish.  The  very  nature  of  their  spiritual  homage 
made  them  patriots  and  ardent  advocates  of  constitu- 
tional liberty.  The  conditions  prevailing  in  the  growth 
of  a  natural  physical  being  and  the  wisdom  of  their  view 
of  what  made  the  whole  duty  of  life  begat  in  them  an 
intellectual  being  that  was  at  once  their  glory  and  power. 
No  community  in  all  New  England,  however  small  or 
remote,  but  what  felt  the  influence  for  good  that  was  ever 
spreading  out  from  this  people.  They  were  a  race  of 
teachers  in  all  that  concerned  the  domestic,  intellectual, 
and  spiritual  progress  of  all  the  colonies.  They  were  a 
race  of  housekeepers  and  home  builders,  two  essentials  of 
infinitely  vaster  importance  in  the  building  of  a  nation 
than  are  all  the  forces  of  statecraft,  finance,  and  politics. 

New  Hampshire  is  fortunate  this  day  in  that  she  still 
retains  a  strong  and  ever  vitalizing  infusion  of  this  old- 
time  Scotch  blood  that  has  come  down  through  the  gen- 

433 


STATE  BUILDERS 

erations  to  make  stronger  and  better  the  material  life  of 
the  state.  The  old  family  names  are  of  still  frequent 
occurrence  and  borne  by  men  and  women  who  splendidly 
maintain  the  ancient  traditions  as  a  precious  heritage  and 
hallowed  trust. 

Conspicuous  among  these  family  names  of  early  Scotch 
settlers  in  New  Hampshire  is  that  of  Gault,  the  first  of 
whom  was  Samuel,  a  native  of  Ayrshire,  Scotland,  the 
birthplace  of  Robert  Burns  and  a  host  of  others  who 
gained  honor  and  fame  for  work  performed  in  life's 
varied  fields  of  effort. 

It  was  near  what  is  to-day  the  centre  of  the  town  of 
Hooksett  that  Samuel  Gault  built  his  home  and  began 
the  work  of  winning  a  farm  from  the  primeval  forest. 
The  wife  of  Samuel  Gault  was  Elsie  Carleton,  a  Welsh 
woman,  and  the  passing  of  time  has  shown  that  this 
union  of  Scotch  and  Welsh  blood  was  a  strong  and  virile 
combination.  After  their  marriage  they  journeyed  to 
Londonderry,  in  Ireland,  where  were  so  many  of  their 
faith  and  blood.  Early  in  their  married  life  the  couple 
resolved  to  seek  their  home  in  America,  and  the  frontier 
settlement,  now  Hooksett,  was  selected  as  the  place  of 
habitation.  A  son  of  the  couple,  born  in  their  new  home, 
was  named  Matthew,  and  when  he  had  grown  to  man- 
hood he  joined  the  forces  that  successfully  contended  for 
the  independence  of  the  colonies.  He  was  one  of  Stark's 
men  at  Bennington,  was  with  Washington  at  Morris- 
town,  and  later  did  garrison  duty  at  West  Point  on  the 
Hudson. 

This  soldier  of  the  American  Revolution,  Matthew 
Gault,  married  a  daughter  of  Captain  Andrew  Bunton 
of  Chester,  and  they  also  had  a  son  whom  they  named 
Matthew.  This  second  Matthew  Gault,  growing  to  man- 
hood, identified  himself  with  the  material  interests  of 
Hooksett,  and,  maintaining  the  spirit  and  tradition  of 

434 


STATE  BUILDERS 

his  ancestry,  he  kept  all  that  came  under  his  sway  in  a 
state  of  advancement  and  progress.  He  was  a  pioneer 
in  brick  manufacturing,  so  long  since  a  leading  industry 
in  Hooksett,  and  participated  in  the  affairs  of  his  town, 
county  and  state. 

A  son  of  the  second  Matthew  was  named  Norris  C, 
who  continued  the  brick-manufacturing  interests  so  suc- 
cessfully established  by  his  father.  Norris  C.  Gault  served 
his  native  Hooksett  in  the  popular  branch  of  the  State 
Legislature  as  far  back  as  1867,  and  for  a  number  of 
years  was  selectman  of  the  town.  He  married  Annie 
Mitchell,  and  a  son  born  to  them  is  the  subject  of  this 
sketch,  John  Gault.  He  is  the  fifth  of  that  line  in 
America  begun  by  Samuel  Gault  and  his  wife,  Elsie 
Carleton,  and,  though  still  in  his  early  manhood,  he  has 
proven  that  there  is  no  deterioration  of  the  original  stock. 
The  material  life  and  interests  of  New  Hampshire  have 
been  fostered  and  advanced  by  each  successive  generation 
of  the  family.  Each  generation  has  recognized  that  it 
had  a  work  to  do  and  it  has  displayed  the  ability  to  do 
it  and  do  it  well.  Family  ability  and  character  rarely  if 
ever  degenerate  under  an  acceptance  of  such  conditions. 

Thus  far  (1903)  the  chosen  life  work  of  John  Gault 
has  been  teaching.  His  first  situation  in  this  profession 
was  in  the  Haven  school  of  Portsmouth,  where  he  re- 
mained from  September,  1895,  until  December,  1896, 
when  he  accepted  the  principalship  of  the  Webster-street 
school  in  the  city  of  Manchester,  and  in  this  position  he 
is  still  serving. 

The  science  of  pedagogy  is  so  comprehensive  in  its 
scope  that  one  sees  differing  and  varied  definitions  of  its 
meaning.  At  its  best  it  means  that  faculty  which  one 
may  possess  of  imparting  knowledge  to  others.  A  per- 
son may  be  ever  so  erudite,  yet,  lacking  in  this  faculty,  he 
or  she  will  fail  utterly  to  make  the  ideal  instructor.  Mr. 

435 


STATE  BUILDERS 

Gault  happily  possesses  this  faculty  of  imparting  knowl- 
edge to  others  to  a  marked  degree,  and  to  its  possession 
is  due  much  of  his  distinct  success  and  popularity  as  a 
teacher. 

He  perceives  the  characteristics  of  each  individual  pupil 
and  acts  in  the  premises  as  suggested  by  this  insight  into 
character. 

Mr.  Gault's  natal  day  was  February  28,  1872,  and  he 
was  of  the  fourth  generation  of  the  family  to  have  been 
born  in  Hooksett.  His  preparatory  education  was  in 
Pembroke  academy,  graduating  therefrom  in  1890.  He 
entered  Dartmouth  College  with  the  class  of  '95  and  im- 
mediately upon  graduation  began  teaching.  • 

On  August  27th,  1902,  he  married  Sallie,  daughter  of 
William  F.  and  Mary  H.  (Sargeant)  Head  of  Hooksett. 
Mr.  Gault  is  a  member  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
church,  and  in  fraternal  organization  has  membership  in 
the  Knights  of  Pythias  and  the  Masons. 


436 


DANIEL  J.  DALEY 


DANIEL  J.  DALEY. 

From  the  very  beginning  of  its  history  as  a  distinct 
political  division  of  what  is  now  the  United  States, 
New  Hampshire  has  been  singularly  peculiar  in  the 
number  of  her  sons  who  have  chosen  the  law  as  a  life 
calling,  and  this  tendency  to  the  legal  profession  is  as 
pronounced  to-day  as  ever,  and  there  is  no  question  but 
what  the  standard  of  ability  and  erudition  is  as  high 
as  ever. 

Included  among  the  younger  members  of  the  New 
Hampshire  bar  is  Daniel  J.  Daley  of  Manchester,  who 
was  admitted  to  practice  in  1899.  He  was  born  in  the 
town  of  Londonderry,  August  I,  1873,  the  son  of 
John  and  Julia  Daley,  who  were  residents  of  London- 
derry for  upwards  of  forty  years,  owning  and  tilling 
one  of  the  best  farms  in  the  town. 

The  boyhood  life  of  young  Daley  was  passed  upon 
the  parental  farm  and  at  the  common  schools  of  the 
town.  At  the  age  of  sixteen  he  entered  Pinkerton 
Academy,  and  the  pecuniary  means  required  for  this 
course  of  study  he  earned  by  working  at  logging, 
chopping  and  general  work  upon  the  farm.  While  still 
in  his  teens  and  before  the  year  of  his  majority  gave 
him  the  right  to  vote,  he  participated  in  the  political 
affairs  of  his  town  and  neighborhood.  At  twenty-one 
his  fellow  townsmen  conferred  upon  him  the  rare  honor, 
for  one  of  his  age,  of  an  election  to  the  Londonderry 
Board  of  Selectmen,  and  this  wholly  without  any  self- 
seeking  of  the  office. 

437 


STATE  BUILDERS 

His  first  preparatory  step  for  the  bar  was  a  course  of 
study  in  the  Nashua  office  of  Charles  J.  Hamblett,  United 
States  District  Attorney  under  Presidents  McKinley 
and  Roosevelt.  He  subsequently  entered  the  Boston 
University  Law  School,  but  did  not  complete  its  full 
course  of  study. 

Returning  to  New  Hampshire  he  eventually  resumed 
his  law  studies  in  the  office  of  James  P.  Tuttle  of 
Manchester,  former  solicitor  of  Hillsborough  County. 
It  was  early  in  1899  that  he  passed  his  examinations 
for  admission  to  the  bar,  and  he  at  once  located  in 
Manchester,  in  which  city  he  has  since  lived  and 
practiced. 

His  success  as  a  lawyer  was  instant  and  marked. 
From  the  first  he  has  been  a  general  practitioner,  and 
in  each  department  of  legal  practice  he  has  given  evidence 
that  he  is  well  grounded  in  general  law. 

He  is  thus  early  in  his  career  retained  by  the  Boston 
and  Maine  Railroad  Corporation;  the  American  Cotton 
Yarn  Trust;  the  Manchester  Traction,  Light  and  Power 
Company;  the  Kimball  Carriage  Company,  and  Cavan- 
augh  Brothers,  all  clients  that  any  lawyer  of  even  long 
experience  might  feel  well  proud  of  possessing. 

Early  in  1903  Mr.  Daley  became  professionally  asso- 
ciated with  a  case  in  criminal  procedure,  interest  in  which 
extended  throughout  New  England.  This  was  the  case 
of  Charles  W.  Sell,  charged  with  assault  with  intent 
to  kill.  Sell  shot  and  seriously  wounded  his  former 
sweetheart,  Miss  Mabel  French,  and  after  firing  two 
shots  at  her,  both  of  which  took  effect,  he  next  fired  at 
her  two  companions,  Clinton  Bunker  and  Joseph  Clough, 
slightly  wounding  both.  The  grand  jury  found  two 
indictments  against  Sell,  and  conviction  under  these  two 
indictments  called  for  a  maximum  sentence  of  forty 
years. 

438 


STATE  BUILDERS 

The  finding  of  the  indictments  and  the  approaching 
trial  awakened  in  the  public  an  intense  interest,  which 
deepened  and  spread  as  the  day  of  the  trial  approached. 
People  indulged  in  all  manner  of  speculation  as  to  the 
probable  outcome  of  the  trial.  Practically  all  agreed 
that  there  was  no  possible  chance  for  Sell  to  escape  from 
a  sentence  much  short  of  ten  years,  and  all  anticipated 
a  long-drawn-out  contest,  as  it  was  given  out  that  the 
prisoner's  plea  would  be  one  of  self  defence.  On  the 
morning  of  the  day  set  for  the  trial  Mr.  Daley  conferred 
with  Mr.  Wason,  who  as  the  solicitor  of  Hillsborough 
County  appeared  for  the  state,  with  the  result  that  it  was 
agreed  that  Sell  should  plead  nolo  contendere,  which 
agreement  the  Court  accepted  and  Sell  escaped  with  an 
indeterminate  sentence  of  not  less  than  three  nor  more 
than  five  years. 

Mr.  Daley  is  popular  and  respected  wherever  known, 
for  he  has  those  qualities  of  heart  and  mind  that  people 
like  to  come  into  contact  with.  In  fraternal  organizations 
he  is  a  member  and  past-master  of  Gen,  Stark  Grange 
Patrons  of  Husbandry,  of  Manchester  Council  Knights 
of  Columbus  and  the  New  Hampshire  Catholic  Club, 
Manchester. 

He  married,  in  1903,  Miss  Josephine  C.  Burke  of 
Manchester,  a  graduate  of  Mt.  St.  Mary's  Academy  and 
widely  known  in  Manchester's  social  and  educational 
circles. 


439 


WALLACE  D.  LOVELL. 

Though  of  neither  New  Hampshire  birth  nor  New 
Hampshire  residence,  Wallace  D.  Lovell  is  well  entitled 
to  rank  with  the  state  builders  of  this  commonwealth  by 
reason  of  the  strenuous  effect  which  he  is  putting  forth 
to  develop  the  wealth  and  resources  of  the  community. 
Born  at  Weymouth,  Mass.,  Feb.  3,  1854,  and  thoroughly 
trained  as  a  business  man  in  that  state,  Mr.  Lovell  clearly 
foresaw  many  years  ago  the  great  future  of  New  Hamp- 
shire as  a  summer  resort  when  once  its  latent  energies 
were  fully  developed  and  exploited.  Accordingly,  in  the 
fall  of  1897,  he  began  the  work  of  building  street  rail- 
ways in  southern  New  Hampshire,  extending  them  across 
the  state  line  into  northern  Massachusetts.  His  first  ven- 
tures in  New  Hampshire  were  in  the  southeastern  portion 
of  the  state,  where  he  built  and  developed  the  Exeter 
street  railway,  the  Portsmouth  and  Exeter  street  railway, 
the  Exeter  and  Newmarket  street  railway,  the  Hampton 
and  Amesbury  street  railway,  the  Seabrook  and  Hampton 
Beach  street  railway,  the  Amesbury  and  Hampton  street 
railway,  the  Haverhill,  Plaistow  and  Newton  street  rail- 
way, the  Haverhill  and  Plaistow  street  railway,  the 
Haverhill  and  Southern  New  Hampshire  street  railway. 
These  various  railroads,  now  united  into  a  single  com- 
prehensive system,  thoroughly  gridiron  the  southeastern 
tier  of  towns  in  Rockingham  county,  and  afford  easy  and 
rapid  intercommunication  between  the  beautiful  towns  of 
that  section  and  the  entrancing  line  of  seacoast  which 
New  Hampshire  possesses. 

440 


WALLACE  D.  LOVELL 


STATE  BUILDERS 

In  connection  with  these  enterprises  Mr.  Lovell  has 
recently  built  and  opened  with  due  ceremony  a  bridge 
over  Hampton  River  more  than  a  mile  in  length,  which 
practically  connects  New  Hampshire  and  Massachusetts 
on  the  shore  line  and  which  by  opening  up  a  large  feed- 
ing territory  for  his  railroads  in  Massachusetts  has  added 
materially  to  the  prosperity  of  eastern  Rockingham  coun- 

ty- 

Turning  his  attention  from  this  field  where  he  has  been 
so  successful,  Mr.  Lovell  has  also  constructed  and  put 
into  operation  the  Hudson,  Pelham  and  Salem  street  rail- 
way, the  Lawrence  and  Methuen  street  railway,  the 
Lowell  and  Pelham  street  railway,  and  the  Derry  and 
Pelham  street  railway,  giving  communication  between 
the  flourishing  cities  in  the  Merrimack  valley  in  this  state 
and  in  Massachusetts. 

He  has  also  built  and  now  operates  the  Dover,  Somers- 
worth  and  Rochester  street  railway,  bringing  those  three 
active  and  hustling  communities  into  close  touch  with 
each  other,  and  he  now  has  under  contract  the  Concord, 
Dover  and  Rochester  street  railway  which  will  be  built 
during  the  coming  season,  and  which  will  open  up  a  sec- 
tion of  territory  in  New  Hampshire  which  is  now  abso- 
lutely without  means  of  communication  other  than  that 
afforded  by  the  highways,  but  which  in  material  pros- 
perity is  amply  able  to  support  such  a  line  as  is  contem- 
plated. 

In  connection  with  his  railway  enterprises  in  south- 
eastern New  Hampshire  Mr.  Lovell  has  constructed  at 
Portsmouth  a  magnificent  electrical  plant  known  as  the 
Rockingham  County  light  and  power  company.  This 
plant  supplies  the  electrical  energy  for  the  various  lines 
of  railway  operated  by  Mr.  Lovell  and  in  addition  is  pre- 
pared to  furnish  light  and  power  to  cities  or  individuals, 
it  being  Mr.  Lovell's  firm  belief  that  through  the  wide 
distribution  of  electrical  power  in  small  manufacturing 

441 


STATE  BUILDERS 

establishments  great    prosperity  to  a  community    must 
necessarily  ensue. 

Mr.  Lovell  is  not  content  with  the  great  work  he  has 
already  done  but  contemplates  even  larger  and  more  ex- 
tended enterprises  in  the  same  line,  so  thoroughly  is  he 
imbued  with  the  belief  that  the  extension  and  develop- 
ment of  trolley  lines  will  be  of  inestimable  benefit  to  the 
state  of  New  Hampshire  by  attracting  and  distributing 
over  new  sections  of  country  thousands  of  summer  visi- 
tors who  do  not  now  come  here. 


442 


SHERMAN  E.  BURROUGHS 


SHERMAN    E.     BURROUGHS. 

It  was  but  the  following  out  of  a  well-sustained  pre- 
dilection that  Sherman  E.  Burroughs  sought  and  entered 
the  legal  profession  as  the  chosen  field  of  his  life  work. 
To  use  an  old-time,  yet  expressive  phrase,  he  was  a 
natural  born  lawyer;  he  loved  the  profession  not  for 
what  he  might  wring  from  it,  but  rather  for  what  it  was 
and  all  that  it  represented.  Through  good  judgment 
and  wise  decision  he  came  to  the  bar  well  grounded  in 
the  law,  not  leaving,  as  is  so  frequently  the  case,  a  great 
mass  of  matter  to  be  studied  and  learned  after  entering 
upon  practice.  His  general  education  was  likewise 
thorough  and  comprehensive,  wholly  free  from  that 
superficiality  so  regretfully  common  in  the  whole  list 
of  the  trades  and  professions  in  present  day  American 
life.  All  this  made  the  more  effective  his  equipment  for 
the  bar  and  the  general  affairs  of  life,  and  that  immedi- 
ate success  which  has  been  his  in  early  manhood  years 
was  as  but  a  natural  result  of  a  thorough  preliminary 
preparation. 

Mr.  Burroughs  is  a  thorough-going  son  of  New 
Hampshire,  for  not  only  was  he  born  in  the  state  but 
his  ancestry  on  both  sides  for  several  generations  had 
their  birth  and  rearing  within  the  state.  The  little  town 
of  Dunbarton,  that  has  for  so  many  years  been  famed 
for  its  generous  contributions  of  conspicuous  men  and 
women  to  the  every  field  of  state  and  national  life,  was 
his  birthplace,  with  1870  as  his  natal  year. 

443 


STATE  BUILDERS 

His  parents  were  John  H.  and  Helen  M.  (Baker) 
Burroughs,  and  when  the  son  was  fourteen  years  of  age 
the  family  removed  to  the  town  of  Bow,  in  which  place 
the  parents  live  to  this  year  (1903).  The  educational 
life  of  young  Burroughs  began  in  the  common  schools 
of  Dunbarton,  was  continued  in  those  of  Bow  and  the 
High  school  in  the  city  of  Concord,  graduating  from  the 
latter  in  1890,  in  which  year  he  entered  the  freshman 
class  of  Dartmouth  college  and  completing  the  college 
course  graduated  in  1894. 

Immediately  following  the  graduation  he  went  to 
Washington  to  become  private  secretary  to  his  kinsman, 
Henry  M.  Baker,  then  a  congressman  from  New  Hamp- 
shire. His  work  at  the  national  capital  served  him,  in 
effect,  as  it  has  many  another  young  man  destined  for 
the  bar  and  other  professional  fields,  as  a  valued  post 
graduate  course.  It  was  while  in  Washington  also  that 
he  entered  upon  his  legal  studies  as  a  student  in  Colum- 
bian University  law  school,  from  which  he  graduated  in 
1897,  but  his  admission  to  the  bar  of  the  District  of 
Columbia  was  in  1896  and  prior  to  his  graduation  from 
the  law  school. 

In  the  fall  of  1897  he  returned  to  New  Hampshire, 
was  admitted  to  the  bar  of  the  state,  and  at  once  opened 
a  law  office  in  the  city  of  Manchester.  From  1897  to 
1901  he  continued  practice  alone,  but  in  July  of  the  latter 
year  he  became  one  of  the  firm  of  Taggart,  Tuttle  and 
Burroughs,  a  firm  that  has  attained  an  extensive  practice 
in  corporation  procedure  as  well  as  general  practice. 

Until  1903  Mr.  Burroughs  retained  his  legal  residence 
in  the  town  of  Bow,  when  he  changed  it  to  Manchester. 
In  1901  he  was  sent  by  his  fellow  townsmen  in  Bow  to 
represent  them  in  the  popular  branch  of  the  state  legis- 
lature, in  which  body  he  served  on  the  judiciary  and 
rules  committee. 

444 


STATE  BUILDERS 

In  1898  Mr.  Burroughs  married  Helen  S.  Phillips,  a 
member  of  a  former  New  York  state  family.  Three 
sons,  Robert  Phillips,  John  Hamilton,  and  Sherman 
Edward,  Jr.,  are  a  thrice  blessed  result  of  the  union. 

In  fraternal  organizations  Mr.  Burroughs  is  a  Mason, 
and  in  church  affiliation  he  is  an  Episcopalian. 


445 


J.  HOMER  EDGERLEY. 

Among  the  many  New  Hampshire  boys  in  their  teens 
who  rallied  to  the  defence  of  the  flag  and  country  in  the 
war  from  '61  to  '65  was  J.  Homer  Edgerley,  and  that  his 
youth  did  not  preclude  him  from  a  full  realization  of  the 
magnitude  and  seriousness  of  that  portentous  conflict,  is 
evidenced  by  the  fact  that  he  remained  with  his  command 
till  its  final  muster  out  at  the  close  of  the  war. 

Nor  is  this  all ;  this  youth,  as  he  was  at  the  time  of  his 
enlistment,  performed  the  duties  of  the  private  in  the 
ranks  with  such  measure  of  valor  and  efficiency  that  he 
won  promotion,  first  as  first  sergeant  of  his  company,  next 
as  second  lieutenant,  then  to  a  captaincy,  and  upon  his 
muster  out  it  was  as  brevet-major.  This  last  promotion 
was  from  a  recommendation  in  a  general  order  of  the 
commanding  general,  prompted  by  a  personal  act  of 
splendid  heroism. 

After  the  war,  Major  Edgerley,  accepting  the  example 
of  many  another  New  Hampshire  man,  went  to  Massa- 
chusetts, and  from  that  time  has  made  his  home  in  Boston 
or  its  vicinity.  _  During  much  of  the  time  of  his  residence 
in  Massachusetts,  he  has  been  in  the  civil  service  of  the 
United  States  Government,  and,  in  addition,  has  served 
his  adopted  state  as  a  member  of  its  legislature  during  the 
session  of  1900.  As  a  resident  of  the  city  of  Charlestown 
prior  to  Its  annexation  to  Boston,  he  was  a  member  of  its 
common  council.  For  several  years  he  was  master  painter 

446 


J.  HOMER  EDGERLEY 


STATE  BUILDERS 

at  the  Charlestown  Navy  Yard.    He  is  at  present  deputy 
serveyor  of  customs,  port  of  Boston. 

Major  Edgerley  is  a  native  of  Dover.  His  father  was 
Calvin  O.  Edgerley,  a  long  time  resident  and  respected 
citizen  of  that  city.  He  enlisted  at  Dover  under  Ira  A. 
Moody,  and  this  squad  eventually  became  Company  K, 
Third  New  Hampshire.  Early  in  1862  he  was  made 
orderly  sergeant  (from  private),  and  satisfactorily  filled 
the  position  till  June,  1863,  when  he  was  commissioned 
a  second  lieutenant.  He  was  at  Pocotaligo,  South  Caro- 
lina, October  22,  1862,  and  with  his  regiment  at  the 
taking  of  Morris  Island,  July  10,  1863,  m  tne  attack  of 
the  following  morning,  and  in  the  siege  work  of  those 
weary  months,  during  which  it  seemed  to  each  man  that 
it  was  surely  his  turn  next  to  be  either  killed  or  wounded. 
During  a  portion  of  this  time,  Lieutenant  Edgerley 
served  with  the  Boat  Infantry  Picket,  an  extremely  haz- 
ardous duty,  wholly  by  night,  and  as  important  as  it  was 
dangerous.  Lieutenant  Edgerley  took  active  part  in  all 
the  actions  of  the  regiment,  Drury's  Bluff,  May  13-16, 
1864;  in  the  noted  sortie  of  June  2,  1864;  the  recapture 
of  the  rifle-pits  in  front  of  the  Bermuda  Hundred  lines; 
and  in  the  Petersburg  reconnoissance  of  June  9,  1864. 
June  1 6,  1864,  when  the  enemy  had  vacated  Butler's 
front,  he  was  with  the  skirmishers,  feeling  the  new  ad- 
vance of  the  enemy,  and  behaved  very  gallantly.  On  the 
1 6th  of  August,  1864,  the  /th  of  October,  1864,  and  the 
various  actions  of  those  autumn  months,  Lieutenant 
Edgerley  was  a  participant.  In  December,  1864,  he  had 
a  leave  of  absence  and  he  was  about  that  time  promoted 
to  captain.  In  January,  1865,  he  was  one  of  the  six 
officers  with  the  regiment  in  the  successful  assault  of 
Fort  Fisher,  and  with  a  mere  handful  of  volunteer  fol- 
lowers he  ran  to  Mound  Battery  and  hauled  down  and  se- 
cured the  flag,  giving  it  to  General  Terry. 

447 


STATE  BUILDERS 

He  was  sent  to  Point  Lookout,  Maryland,  in  charge 
of  a  steamer-load  of  the  captured  prisoners.  In  the  ad- 
vance on  Wilmington  he  again  displayed  great  courage. 
On  the  nth  of  February,  when  he  was  in  charge  of  the 
line  (left  wing),  he  captured  a  greater  number  of  pris- 
oners than  his  own  force.  At  Wilmington,  after  its  cap- 
ture, he  was  assistant  provost-marshal,  the  duties  of 
which  office  required  great  skill,  sagacity,  and  diplomacy. 
He  was  in  charge  of  the  flag  of  truce  which  arranged  for 
the  wholesale  exchange  of  prisoners  at  North  East  Ferry. 
He  returned  home  with  the  regiment  at  its  final  muster 
out  in  July,  1865. 


448 


GEORGE  A.  HARDEN 


GEORGE  A.   HARDEN. 

Of  that  great  army  of  men  of  New  Hampshire  birth 
who  have  chosen  the  State  of  Massachusetts  for  their 
adoption  and  the  field  of  life's  efforts  and  activity,  few 
have  gained  greater  distinction  or  more  widespread  pop- 
ularity than  George  A.  Mar  den,  who  in  April,  1899,  was 
appointed  by  President  McKinley  the  assistant  treasurer 
of  the  United  States,  at  Boston,  and  reappointed  for  the 
second  term  by  President  Roosevelt.  Since  1867  Mr. 
Marden  has  been  a  legal  resident  of  Lowell,  in  which 
place  he  has  been  prominently  identified  with  the  news- 
paper press  of  Massachusetts,  and  it  is  in  the  news- 
paper field  as  well  as  in  the  realm  of  politics  that  he  has 
become  so  prominently  known  throughout  New  England 
and,  indeed,  the  entire  country. 

Mr.  Marden  was  born  in  the  town  of  Mont  Vernon, 
August  9,  1839,  the  son  of  Benjamin  Franklin  and 
Betsey  (Buss)  Marden.  On  the  paternal  side  he  is  de- 
scended from  Richard  Marden  who  took  the  oath  of 
fidelity  in  New  Haven,  1646,  and  both  lines  of  ancestry 
are  prominently  identified  with  the  settlement  and  devel- 
opment of  the  colony  and  state  of  New  Hampshire. 

Mr.  Mar  den's  preparatory  education  was  obtained  at 
Appleton  academy  in  Mont  Vernon,  now  the  McCollom 
institute,  of  whose  trustees  he  is  president.  In  this  period 
he  was  also  taught  the  shoemaker's  trade  by  his  father, 
who  was  both  a  tanner  and  a  shoemaker,  and  he  worked 
thereat  after  attaining  the  age  of  twelve,  in  intervals  oc- 

449 


STATE  BUILDERS 

curring  while  he  was  fitting-  for  college  and  subsequently 
during  college  vacations.  Having  entered  Dartmouth 
college  in  the  fall  of  1857,  ne  graduated  in  July,  1861, 
being  the  eleventh  member  in  rank  in  a  class  of  fifty- 
eight  members.  In  1875  he  was  the  commencement  poet 
of  the  Phi  Beta  Kappa  society,  and  in  1877  he  delivered 
the  commencement  poem  before  the  Dartmouth  Associ- 
ated Alumni.  Of  each  of  these  two  societies  he  was  the 
president  for  two  years.  Among  his  classmates  in  college 
was  the  Rev.  William  Jewett  Tucker,  now  the  president 
of  the  college. 

With  his  patriotism  deeply  stirred  by  the  outbreak  of 
the  Rebellion,  Mr.  Marden  enlisted  as  a  private  in  Com- 
pany G,  Second  Regiment  of  Berdan's  United  States 
sharpshooters.  In  November,  1861,  he  was  mustered  into 
the  United  States  service,  receiving  a  warrant  as  second 
sergeant.  Transferred  to  the  first  regiment  of  sharp- 
shooters in  1862,  he  was,  during  the  Peninsular  cam- 
paign, under  McClellan  from  Yorktown  to  Harrison's 
Landing.  On  July  10  of  the  same  year  he  was  made  first 
lieutenant  and  regimental  quartermaster,  and  subse- 
quently served  in  that  capacity  until  January,  1863,  when 
he  was  ordered  on  staff  duty  as  acting  assistant  adjutant- 
general  of  the  Third  Brigade,  Third  Division,  Third 
Corps.  After  serving  in  this  position  until  the  fall  of 
1863,  having  been  in  the  battles  of  Chancellorsville,  Get- 
tysburg and  Wapping  Heights,  he  was  ordered  to  Riker's 
Island,  N.  Yv  on  detached  service.  Soon  after,  at  his 
own  request,  he  was  sent  back  to  his  regiment,  with  which 
he  remained  until  it  was  mustered  out  in  September,  1864. 

Having  returned  to  New  Hampshire,  Mr.  Marden  en- 
tered the  law  office  of  Minot  and  Mugridge  at  Concord, 
N.  H.,  where  he  engaged  in  the  study  of  law  and  also 
wrote  for  the  Concord  Daily  Monitor.  In  November, 
1865,  he  removed  to  Charleston,  Kanawha  County, 


STATE  BUILDERS 

West  Virginia,  and  purchased  a  weekly  paper,  the  Kana- 
wha  Republican.  This  he  edited  until  April,  1866,  when 
he  disposed  of  it  and  returned  to  New  Hampshire.  Then 
he  worked  for  Adjutant-General  Nat  Head  of  New 
Hampshire,  compiling  and  editing  a  history  of  each  of 
the  state's  military  organizations  during  the  civil  war.  In 
the  meantime,  still  pursuing  journalism,  he  wrote  for  the 
Concord  Monitor  and  was  the  Concord  correspondent  of 
the  Boston  Advertiser,  having  obtained  this  post  in  July, 
1866.  He  accepted,  January,  1867,  the  position  of  as- 
sistant editor  of  the  Boston  Advertiser  and  discharged  its 
duties  until  September  following.  Then,  conjointly  with 
his  classmate,  Major  E.  T.  Rowell,  he  purchased  the 
Lowell  Daily  Courier  and  the  Lowell  Weekly  Journal, 
both  of  which  he  has  since  conducted.  On  September  I, 
1892,  the  partnership  of  Messrs.  Marden  and  Rowell, 
which  lasted  just  twenty-five  years,  was  suspended  by  a 
stock  corporation  styled  the  Lowell  Courier  Publishing 
Company,  the  two  proprietors  retaining  their  respective 
interests  in  the  enterprise.  Since  January  i,  1895,  the 
Courier  company  has  been  united  with  the  Citizen  com- 
pany, under  the  name  of  the  Courier-Citizen  company, 
the  Citizen  having  been  made  a  one-cent  morning  paper, 
and  Mr.  Marden  remaining  in  editorial  charge  of  both 
papers. 

Mr.  Marden's  first  vote  in  a  Presidential  election  was 
cast  for  Abraham  Lincoln.  Since  1867  there  has  been 
no  election,  state  or  national,  when  he  did  not  serve  his 
party  on  the  stump.  The  most  notable  of  these  was  the 
presidential  campaign  of  1896,  when,  in  company  with 
Major  General  O.  O.  Howard,  Major  General  Daniel  E. 
Sickles,  Gen.  Russell  A.  Alger,  Gen.  Trios.  J.  Stewart, 
Corp.  James  Tanner,  Major  J.  W.  Burst,  and  Col. 
George  H.  Hopkins,  he  stumped  the  middle  west  on  a 
platform  car,  travelling  over  8,000  miles  in  fifteen  states, 


STATE  BUILDERS 

addressing  more  than  a  million  people.  As  a  speaker- 
he  has  also  been  in  much  request  for  Memorial  Day  and 
for  jubilee  anniversaries  generally.  In  April,  1893,  he 
delivered  a  memorable  address  at  the  reunion  of  the  "Old 
Guard,"  held  in  New  York  on  Forefathers'  Day  of  1889 
and  1892,  the  invitations  to  which  he  regards  as  the 
greatest  honor  of  his  life.  July  4,  1891,  he  read  the 
poem  at  the  annual  encampment  of  the  Society  of  the 
Army  of  the  Potomac  at  Buffalo. 

It  was  as  a  member  of  the  state  legislature  that  Mr. 
Marden  first  entered  political  life  in  Massachusetts,  hav- 
ing secured  election  in  1873.  He  was  first  chosen  clerk 
of  the  House  in  1874,  an  event  chiefly  due  to  the  friend- 
liness with  which  he  had  inspired  his  fellow  members  of 
the  preceding  year.  He  was  regularly  elected  to  that  office 
afterward  to  1883.  Then  he  decided  to  seek  election  to 
the  house  again,  with  the  purpose  of  becoming  a  candi- 
date for  the  speakership.  Having  obtained  both  desires, 
he  was  first  elected  speaker  for  1883.  He  was  again 
elected  representative  and  the  speaker  for  1884.  Al- 
though new  to  the  gavel  in  1883,  when  the  session  was 
the  longest  held  before  or  since  then,  mainly  owing  to 
Governor  Butler's  frequent  intervention  in  legislative 
affairs,  he  made  an  exceptionally  creditable  record  in  the 
chair.  In  1885  he  was  a  member  of  the  state  senate. 
After  being  defeated  in  his  candidacy  for  the  senate  of 
the  following  year,  he  was  appointed  by  Governor  Ames 
a  trustee  of  the  agricultural  college  at  Amherst.  Begin- 
ning in  1888  he  was  annually  elected  Treasurer  and  Re- 
ceiver-General of  the  Commonwealth  for  five  consecutive 
years,  thereby  exhausting  the  period  for  which  the  office 
can  be  constitutionally  held  by  the  same  individual  unin- 
terruptedly, and  winning  general  commendation  by  his 
administration  of  the  state's  finances.  In  company  with 
Hon.  George  S.  Boutwell,  ex-Secretary  of  the  United 

452 


STATE  BUILDERS 

States  Treasury,  he  represented  the  Seventh  Congres- 
sional district  in  the  National  Republican  convention  of 
1880,  held  in  Chicago,  where  both  ardently  supported  the 
nomination  of  General  Grant,  thereby  earning  their  right 
to  membership  in  the  "Old  Guard,"  and  to  their  "306 
medals,"  which  they  have  treasured  to  this  day. 

Mr.  Marden  married.  December  10,  1867,  Mary  Por- 
ter Fiske,  daughter  of  Deacon  David  Fiske  of  Nashua. 
They  have  two  sons,  Philip  Sanford,  born  Jan.  12,  1874, 
graduated  from  Dartmouth,  1894,  and  Harvard  Law 
School  in  1898;  and  Robert  Fiske,  born  June  14,  1876, 
graduated  from  Dartmouth,  1898. 


453 


DANIEL    WALTON    GOULD. 

A  strong-  and  influential  personality  as  respects  char- 
acter and  type  of  manhood  in  that  contingent  of  New 
Hampshire  men  in  Massachusetts,  is  Daniel  Walton 
Gould,  for  many  years  a  resident  of  the  city  of  Chelsea 
in  that  state.  But  his  influence  as  a  citizen  and  active 
participant  in  general  affairs  is  not  confined  to  his  home 
city  but  extends  throughout  the  state.  He  is  rich  in  the 
possession  of  a  good  name  and  the  respect  and  affection 
of  thousands  of  Bay  State  citizens  who  have  come  to 
know  him  in  the  passing  years  of  a  well-directed  life. 

He  belongs  to  that  body  in  American  citizenship  who 
when  boys,  or  in  the  first  years  of  an  ardent  young  man- 
hood, rallied  to  the  defence  of  their  country's  flag  and 
for  which  they  sought  no  other  reward  than  the  con- 
sciousness of  a  duty  well  performed.  The  echo  of  the 
guns  that  were  turned  upon  Fort  Sumter  on  that  event- 
ful April  day  had  scarcely  died  away  before  Daniel  W. 
Gould  was  numbered  among  those  who  had  volunteered 
in  defence  of  the  Union.  In  less  than  three  months  after 
leaving  his  peaceful  abode  in  the  shelter  of  the  hills  of  his 
native  New  Hampshire  he  received  his  first  baptism  of 
shot  and  shell  on  that  fatal  field  of  the  first  Bull  Run 
clash  of  arms.  He  went  with  McClellan  to  the  Penin- 
sula, where  in  one  of  the  first  battles  of  that  campaign, 
so  disastrous  to  the  Union  arms,  he  received  a  wound 
that  caused  the  amputation  of  his  left  arm. 

Returning4  to  his  home  in  New  Hampshire  he  entered 
heartily  into  every  duty  of  the  true  citizen. 

454 


DANIEL  WALTON  GOULD 


STATE  BUILDERS 

The  story  of  Mr.  Gould's  life  to  these  first  years  of  the 
twentieth  century  told  in  brief  is  that  he  was  born  in  the 
town  of  Peterborough,  August  10,  1838,  son  of  Oilman 
.  and  Mersylvia  Walton  Gould.  He  is  a  descendant  of 
Zacheus  Gould  who  is  supposed  to  have  come  to  this 
country  from  England  in  1638  and  settled  in  Topsfield, 
Mass.,  in  1643.  He  was  educated  in  the  public  schools 
of  Peterborough  and  passed  three  years  in  the  law  office 
of  R.  B.  Hatch.  When  the  civil  war  broke  out  he  enlisted 
under  the  call  of  President  Lincoln  for  75,000  men,  on 
April  26,  1 86 1,  at  Peterborough,  as  a  private,  and  on  the 
fifth  of  June  following  he  was  mustered  into  the  United 
States  service  at  Portsmouth,  N.  H.,  for  three  years  and 
assigned  to  company  G,  second  Regiment,  New  Hamp- 
shire Volunteers.  He  served  with  his  regiment  in  the 
first  battle  of  Bull  Run  and  the  siege  of  Yorktown.  In 
the  battle  of  Williamsburg,  Va.,  May,  1862,  he  was 
wounded  in  the  leg  in  the  morning  but  continued  to 
fight  in  his  company  until  late  in  the  afternoon,  when 
he  was  wounded  in  the  left  arm.  The  bullet  still  remains 
in  the  leg;  the  arm  was  amputated  above  the  elbow. 
While  his  regiment  was  engaged  and  under  a  hot  fire, 
Mr.  Gould's  rifle  becoming  deranged,  he  sat  down  and 
unscrewed  the  cap  nipple,  cleaned  and  replaced  it  and 
continued  his  fire  upon  the  enemy.  Upon  his  discharge 
from  the  service  he  returned  to  New  Hampshire,  where 
he  remained  until  his  appointment  to  a  clerkship  in  the 
Treasury  Department  at  Washington  in  1874.  From 
1868  to  1874  he  was  paymaster  and  clerk  for  the  Union 
Manufacturing  Company  of  Peterborough,  N.  H.  In 
1868  he  was  also  clerk  of  the  town  of  Peterborough; 
and  in  1872  and  1873  he  represented  his  town  in  the 
New  Hampshire  legislature.  He  remained  in  Wash- 
ington about  a  year,  and  in  1876  was  appointed  inspector 
of  the  Boston  Custom  House.  For  some  time  after  the 
war  he  continued  his  interests  in  military  affairs,  serving 

455 


STATE  BUILDERS 

as  lieutenant  and  subsequently  captain  of  Company  B, 
Second  Regiment,  New  Hampshire  National  Guard. 
He  is  a  charter  member  of  Aaron  F.  Stevens  Post,  No. 
6,  Grand  Army  of  the  Republic,  has  held  most  of  its 
offices,  and  been  a  continuous  member  of  the  W.  S. 
Hancock  Command,  Union  Veterans  Union,  of  Chelsea, 
was  elected  department  commander  of  the  department 
of  Massachusetts  for  1887-1888,  was  judge  advocate 
general  of  the  National  Command  in  1889,  and  quar- 
termaster general  in  the  Massachusetts  Department. 
He  is  prominent  also  in  the  Masonic  and  Odd  Fellows 
orders.  He  is  a  member  of  Altemont  Lodge  of  Free 
Masons,  member  of  the  Peterborough  Royal  Arch  Chap- 
ter, the  Hugh  de  Payens  commandery,  Keene,  N.  H., 
and  the  Naphtali  Council,  Chelsea;  and  is  a  member 
and  past  noble  grand  of  Peterborough  Lodge,  Odd 
Fellows,  and  past  high  priest  of  Union  Encampment 
No.  6.  In  politics  he  is  a  Republican.  He  has  resided 
in  Chelsea  since  May,  1874.  He  is  much  interested  in 
the  Unitarian  Society  of  Chelsea  and  is  chairman  of  the 
standing  committee  of  this  society. 

In  1895  he  was  nominated  by  the  Chelsea  Republicans 
for  alderman-at-large  and  received  the  popular  vote  of 
the  city,  he  getting  2514  votes,  or  124  more  than  any 
other  successful  candidate  for  alderman  and  16  more 
than  the  candidate  for  mayor. 


456 


CHARLES   E.   SLEEPER 


CHARLES   E.   SLEEPER. 

Charles  E.  Sleeper,  the  subject  of  this  sketch,  was  born 
at  Fremont,  N.  H.,  July  I3th,  1852,  being  of  the  fifth 
generation  to  be  born  on  the  same  homestead. 

The  ancestor  of  these  successive  proprietors  came  from 
England  and  settled  upon  the  estate  sometime  in  the  i/th 
century,  having  a  grant  of  three  hundred  and  sixty  acres 
from  the  King  of  England. 

After  graduating  from  the  Kingston  academy  with 
high  honors  Mr.  Sleeper  followed  mercantile  life  for  sev- 
eral years,  awaiting  patiently  the  opening  of  the  door  to 
his  great  ambition,  that  of  a  hotel  proprietor. 

The  opportunity  which  paved  the  way  to  his  chosen 
vocation  came  with  an  offer  of  a  position  at  the  Rocking- 
ham,  Portsmouth,  where  he  not  only  had  a  valuable 
experience,  but  proved  to  his  employers  as  well  as  to 
himself  that  he  had  made  no  mistake  in  the  choice  of  a 
vocation. 

After  some  years  of  progressive  effort  Mr.  Sleeper 
took  the  management  of  Hotel  Weirs,  Weirs,  and  for 
five  seasons  made  this  well-known  hostelry  a  favorite 
resort,  with  a  constantly  widening  patronage. 

His  next  move  was  the  purchase  of  the  Kingswood  Inn 
and  the  New  Wolfboro,  two  of  the  finest  hotels  in  the 
lake  region,  at  Wolfboro. 

While  these  various  relations  were  productive  and 
educational,  the  intermittent  character  of  the  summer 
hotel  business  left  something  to  be  desired.  The  rush  of 
four  or  five  months  in  the  season  is  succeeded  by  an 

457 


STATE  BUILDERS 

uneventful  period,  representing  an  extreme,  whic  to  one 
fitted  for  active  life  is  not  congenial. 

As  a  natural  consequence  Mr.  Sleeper,  in  du  time, 
disposing  of  his  Wolfboro  property,  was  prepaed  to 
accept  the  management  of  the  Plaza,  upon  Colimbus 
Ave.,  Boston,  Mass.,  which  soon  showed  a  maikec  im- 
provement under  his  administration,  ranking  anting  the 
best  of  the  hotels  in  that  city. 

His  success  in  the  management  of  a  metropolitar.  hotel 
brought  him  to  the  favorable  notice  of  the  Leicester 
Hotel  Co.,  of  Leicester,  Mass.,  which  was  in  search  of 
a  capable  and  reliable  manager.  For  two  years  Mr. 
Sleeper  acted  in  this  capacity,  with  results  which  war- 
ranted his  acquiring  the  property  by  purchase. 

The  sequel  proved  the  wisdom  of  this  action,  and  Hotel 
Leicester  became  a  social  centre  for  the  territory  for 
miles  around,  under  the  tactful  methods  of  the  landlord 
and  his  able  wife. 

Still  growing  in  public  favor  and  possessing  to  an 
unusual  degree  qualities  which  are  considered  by  the 
craft  as  absolutely  essential  to  the  proper  conduct  of  a 
modern  hotel,  a  community  of  itself  in  its  multiplicity  of 
interests  and  administration,  Mr.  Sleeper  received  in 
1901,  an  offer  of  the  management  of  the  Castle  Square 
Hotel  of  Boston,  Mass.  This  offer  he  finally  accepted 
and  later  disposed  of  his  Leicester  property,  in  order  that 
he  might  give  the  last  enterprise  his  undivided  attention. 

Mr.  Sleeper's  popularity  is  evidenced  by  an  increase  of 
business  which  at  times  taxes  the  resources  of  this  largest 
hotel  in  the  city  to  its  utmost,  and  the  register  shows 
patrons  from  all  over  New  England,  including  many 
prominent  New  Hampshire  names. 

Mr.  Sleeper's  personality  is  largely  responsible  for  his 
enviable  position  in  the  hotel  world. 

Combined  with  a  masterful  knowledge  of  detail  is  a 
wide  acquaintance  and  the  requisite  poise  which  enable 
him  to  maintain  an  equitable  balance  between  the  ex- 

458 


STATE  BUILDERS 

tremes,  the  guest  and  the  employee,  with  the  desire  to  do 
justice  to  each. 

This  faculty  not  only  makes  friends  but  retains  them, 
and  Mr.  Sleeper's  staunchest  friends  are  those  who  in  the 
past  have  been  dependent  upon  these  essentials,  far  more 
than  they  realized. 

This  biography  would  be  incomplete,  indeed,  without 
the  deserving  mention  of  the  woman  who  has  been  a  will- 
ing helper  and  capable  adviser  throughout  Mr.  Sleeper's 
business  career. 

Mrs.  Sleeper,  nee  E^nma  Robinson,  is  New  Hampshire 
born — a  native  of  Epping  and  a  woman  of  energy  and 
executive  ability. 

She  is  fully  capable  of  managing  a  hotel  in  all  its 
departments  and  has  frequently  shown  her  qualifications 
in  a  business  and  social  way,  ably  supporting  her  husband 
in  his  rising  progress. 

In  1894  Mr.  Sleeper  was  elected  to  the  General  Court 
as  representative  from  the  city  of  Laconia,  N.  H.,  as  a 
Democrat  from  a  Republican  ward,  which  in  New  Hamp- 
shire politics  is  an  unusual  combination. 

As  a  Knights  Templar,  Odd  Fellow  and  a  member  of 
the  H.  M.  M.  B.  A.,  he  is  well  known  and  highly  es- 
teemed. 

Naturally  modest  and  retiring,  Mr.  Sleeper  is  an  ex- 
ample of  one  whose  reward  comes  to  him  in  recognition 
of  sterling  worth,  strict  integrity  and  a  high  standard  of 
excellence  which  impress  themselves  to  a  marked  degree 
upon  all  with  whom  he  comes  in  contact. 


459 


THOMAS    FELLOWS    CLIFFORD. 

Whatever  may  be  said  to  the  contrary,  it  is  neverthe- 
less true  that  the  great  human  family  delights  in  recog- 
nizing merit  and  in  rewarding  it  by  the  bestowal  of  its 
favors,  when  once  it  is  satisfied  that  the  recipient  is 
worthy  its  confidence.  No  man,  and  especially  no  young 
man,  is  secure  in  his  relationship  to  society  and  the  gen- 
eral public  unless  he  has  proven  himself  deserving  of  the 
approval  of  this  same  general  public  no  matter  how 
strong  his  family  and  individual  powers  may  be. 

A  strong  personality  of  the  type  in  question  is  Thomas 
Fellows  Clifford,  who,  already  at  the  very  beginning  of 
an  extremely  promising  career,  has  been  the  recipient  of 
important  trusts  and  favors  from  a  public  that  thoroughly 
believes  in  him,  and  that  undoubtedly  has  a  long  list  of 
other  favors  in  store  for  him. 

Born  at  Davis  Homestead,  Wentworth,  December  i, 
1871,  it  was  his  great  good  fortune  to  come  from  an 
honored  ancestry,  and  one  that  none  will  deny  him  the 
right  to  regard  with  justifiable  pride. 

Of  this  ancestry  one  was  Increase  Sumner,  a  governor 
of  Massachusetts,  and  an  able  leader  of  his  times.  On 
the  paternal  side  he  has  relationship  with  Nathan  Clif- 
ford, long  a  lawyer  of  national  repute,  and  for  years  an 
associate  justice  of  the  supreme  court  of  the  United 
States.  A  great  grandfather  of  the  subject  of  this  sketch 
was  Rev.  Increase  Sumner  Davis,  the  first  pastor  of  the 

460 


THOMAS  FELLOWS  CLIFFORD 


STATE  BUILDERS 

Congregational  church  in  Wentworth.  The  parents  of 
Mr.  Clifford  were  Thomas  Jefferson  and  Sara  (Fellows) 
Clifford.  Their  son  was  educated  in  the  public  schools 
of  Concord,  and,  selecting  the  legal  profession  as  his  life 
work,  he  entered  the  Boston  University  law  school  and 
completed  the  prescribed  course.  Upon  his  admission  to 
the  New  Hampshire  bar  he  located  in  Franklin  and  at 
once  entered  upon  a  career  that  has  thus  far  been  ex- 
tremely creditable  to  him. 

His  popularity  in  Franklin  and  the  esteem  in  which  he 
is  held  by  his  fellow  citizens  were  shown  when  upon  the 
declaration  of  war  against  Spain  he  enlisted  in  Company 
E,  First  New  Hampshire  volunteers,  and  was  commis- 
sioned first  lieutenant.  He  served  in  the  war  on  the 
staff  of  Gen.  John  W.  Andrews,  who  commanded  the 
third  brigade,  third  division,  first  army  corps.  At  the 
close  of  the  war  Lieutenant  Clifford  was  mustered  out  as 
captain  of  Company  E. 

In  the  state  legislatures  of  1897  and  1899  he  served  as 
assistant  clerk  of  the  senate,  and  in  the  legislatures  of 
1901  and  1903  he  filled  the  important  office  of  clerk  of 
the  upper  branch.  He  is  the  justice  of  the  Franklin 
police  court,  and  since  1900  has  been  secretary  of  the 
Republican  state  committee.  Mr.  Clifford  has  member- 
ship in  the  Sons  of  the  American  Revolution;  in  Blazing 
Star  Lodge  A.  F.  and  A.  M.,  Concord;  in  St.  Omer 
chapter,  R.  and  A.  M.,  Franklin;  in  the  Wonolancet  Club, 
Concord;  and  the  Red  Star  Club,  Franklin. 


461 


EDWARD  GILES  LEACH. 

Edward  Giles  Leach  was  born  in  Meredith,  New 
Hampshire,  January  28,  1849,  son  of  Levi  and  Susan 
Catherine  (Sanborn)  Leach.  He  attended  the  common 
schools  of  Meredith  and  spent  one  term  at  the  New 
Hampshire  Conference  Seminary  at  Tilton,  and  for  two 
years  studied  at  Kimball  Union  Academy,  being  gradu- 
ated in  1867.  He  was  graduated  from  Dartmouth  in 
the  class  of  1871.  Mr.  Leach  paid  his  own  way  through 
college,  teaching  in  winter  and  acting  as  clerk  in  the 
Crawford  House  and  Memphremagog  House  at  New- 
port, Vermont,  in  summer.  After  his  graduation  he 
studied  law  and  was  admitted  to  the  bar  in  September, 
1874,  since  which  time  he  has  been  in  practice  in  Frank- 
lin and  Concord.  He  was  in  partnership  with  the  Hon. 
Daniel  Barnard  at  Franklin  until  1879.  Since  then  his 
office  has  been  in  Concord,  where  he  has  been  a  member 
of  the  firm  of  Leach  &  Stevens,  his  partner  being  Henry 
W.  Stevens.  He  was  solicitor  of  Merrimack  County 
from  1880  to  1884,  and  has  been  city  solicitor  of  Frank- 
lin since  its  organization  as  a  city.  He  served  in  the 
Legislature  at  the  sessions  of  1893  and  1895,  being  chair- 
man of  the  House  Judiciary  Committee  in  the  latter 
years.  In  1900  he  was  elected  to  the  State  Senate  for 
the  session  of  1901  and  served  as  chairman  of  the  Ju- 
diciary Committee.  Mr.  Leach  has  been  president  of 
the  Franklin  Board  of  Trade;  of  the  Franklin  Building 
and  Loan  Association;  of  the  Franklin  Park  Association; 

462 


EDWARD  GILES  LEACH 


STATE  BUILDERS 

of  the  Manufacturers'  and  Merchants'  Mutual  Life  In- 
surance Company,  since  the  organization  of  each.  He 
has  been  trustee  and  clerk  of  the  Unitarian  Church  since 
1880.  He  is  a  director  in  the  Light  and  Power  Com- 
pany; of  the  Franklin  Falls  Company,  and  of  the  Frank- 
lin Electric  Road.  He  drafted  in  the  charter  of  the  city 
of  Franklin  and  was  active  in  securing  its  passage  by  the 
Legislature  and  its  adoption  by  the  vote  of  the  city.  He 
was  a  leading  advocate  of  the  city,  owning  its  water- 
works, and  of  the  system  of  control  by  a  non-partisan 
Board  without  pay,  and  has  been  one  of  the  Park  Com- 
missioners since  the  Board  was  established.  In  politics 
Mr.  Leach  is  a  Republican  and  has  been  a  member  of 
the  Republican  State  Committee  since  1878.  He  was 
one  of  the  leaders  in  the  movement  which  changed  the 
political  control  of  the  town  in  1893.  He  had  been  fre- 
quently nominated  for  office  before  that  year,  but  had 
been  unable  to  overcome  the  Democratic  majority.  Mr. 
Leach  married,  December  24,  1874,  Agnes  A.  Robinson. 
He  has  two  sons,  Eugene  W.  and  Robert  M.  Leach,  of 
the  Dartmouth  classes  of  1901  and  1902  respectively. 


463 


FREDERICK  E.  POTTER,  M.  D. 

Born  in  Rumney,  July  3,  1839,  Frederick  Eugene 
Potter  had  but  just  entered  his  manhood  years  when,  on 
that  ever  memorable  April  day  of  1861,  the  flag  on  Fort 
Sumter  received  the  shot  that  precipitated  the  conflict 
between  the  states. 

He  was  one  of  that  class  of  young  men  to  whom  the 
loyal  people  of  the  North  looked  with  peculiar  emphasis 
to  save  the  Union  from  its  threatened  disruption,  and 
promptly  did  he  respond  to  the  call  of  that  fateful  hour. 
Selecting  the  navy  as  his  preferred  arm  of  the  service, 
he  was  on  board  the  Monticello  at  the  attack  upon  and 
capture  of  Forts  Hatteras  and  Clark,  that  event,  early 
in  1862,  that  so  cheered  the  heart  and  raised  the  hopes 
of  the  oft-defeated  North.  Transferred  from  the  North 
Carolina  coast  to  the  naval  forces  operating  on  the  Miss- 
issippi river,  he  participated  in  the  thrilling,  arduous  and 
decisive  campaign  against  Vicksburg  and  its  tributary 
country,  and  also  saw  exciting  service  on  the  Cumberland 
and  Tennessee  rivers,  returning  from  which  he  became 
attached  to  the  ill-fated  Red  river  expedition.  His  ser- 
vice in  the  navy  throughout  had  been  as  a  member  of  the 
medical  corps,  for  the  opening  of  the  war  had  found  him 
a  practising  physician,  young  as  he  was  in  years.  Long 
continued  campaigning,  hardship  and  exposure  resulted 
in  impaired  health,  and  for  this  reason  it  was  sought  to 
ameliorate  his  condition  by  an  appointment  as  president 
of  the  board  of  examiners  for  admission  to  the  naval 

464 


FREDERICK  E.  POTTER,  M.I). 


STATE  BUILDERS 

medical  corps,  at  the  time  stationed  at  Cincinnati,  Ohio. 
But  this  change  of  scene  and  duty  failed  to  compass  a 
restoration  to  health,  and  he  was  given  a  year's  leave  of 
absence,  and  this  year  he  passed  in  his  native  New  Hamp- 
shire. A  regained  health  and  strength  found  him  again 
in  active  service,  which  sent  him  into  Mexican  waters  at 
the  time  France  was  engaged  in  the  attempt  to  place  the 
ill-starred  Maximilian  on  a  throne  in  Mexico.  For 
seven  years  Dr.  Potter  served  with  naval  squadrons 
sailing  from  Mexico  to  distant  South  American  ports. 
Finally  he  applied  for  an  assignment  nearer  home,  and 
he  was  ordered  to  the  Portsmouth  navy  yard.  At  this 
post  he  served  for  four  years,  when,  in  1876,  he  resigned 
his  commission  and  began  private  practice  of  his  profes- 
sion. 

Dr.  Potter  was  a  son  of  Frederick  F.  Potter,  M.  D., 
of  Conway,  who  was  a  descendant  of  that  Major  General 
Frye  of  Fryeburg,  Maine,  an  ensign  at  the  capture  of 
Louisburg  and  later  a  distinguished  officer  in  the  Ameri- 
can Revolution  and  a  close  personal  friend  of  Washing- 
ton. On  his  mother's  side  the  younger  Dr.  Potter  was 
descended  from  that  gallant  Sergeant  Beverly  who 
fought  at  Bunker  Hill,  and  who  later  further  distin- 
guished himself  by  swimming  the  St.  Lawrence  river  in 
midwinter  as  the  bearer  of  dispatches  from  Major  Gen- 
eral Richard  Montgomery,  a  duty  he  performed  with 
signal  success. 

As  a  child  of  three  years  the  future  Dr.  Potter  removed 
with  his  family  from  Rumney  to  Suncook,  in  which 
town  he  lived  until  the  age  of  eighteen,  when  he  entered 
the  medical  school  of  the  University  of  Vermont,  gradu- 
ating in  1859.  Going  to  New  York  city  immediately 
after  receiving  his  diploma  he  was  appointed  resident 
interne  at  the  King's  county  hospital,  where  he  was  at 
the  beginning  of  the  war  between  the  states. 

Dr.  Potter  continued  in  active  practice  in  Portsmouth 

465 


STATE  BUILDERS 

for  more  than  twenty-five  years  and  always  with  marked 
success.  As  a  man  and  citizen  he  won  the  highest  re- 
gard of  all  who  came  to  know  him,  for  he  was  a  man 
who  lived  in  a  way  to  merit  trust  and  confidence.  His 
was  a  commanding  presence  and  winning  personality. 
He  was  loyal  to  the  duty  of  the  hour  and  he  possessed  the 
ability  to  accept  responsibility. 

A.  Democrat  in  his  political  affiliations  he  received  from 
his  party  in  1900  its  nomination  for  governor,  the  honor 
coming  to  him  wholly  without  personal  solicitation  or 
seeking. 

In  fraternal  organizations  he  was  a  Mason  and  mem- 
ber of  the  Massachusetts  commandery,  Loyal  Legion. 
He  attended  the  Unitarian  church. 

On  October  2d,  1873,  he  married  Harriett,  daughter 
of  Jeremiah  H.  and  Mary  (Thompson)  Wilkins  of  Pem- 
broke. 

Dr.  Potter  died  in  November,  1902. 


466 


ANSOX  COLBY  ALEXANDER.   M.I). 


ANSON  COLBY  ALEXANDER,  M.  D. 

Anson  Colby  Alexander,  a  descendant  from  two 
branches  oi  Revolutionary  stock,  was  bom  in  Littleton, 
October  10,  1855,  and  in  that  place  acquired  his  early 
education.  He  later  studied  at  the  academies  at  New 
Hampton  and  New  London,  and  began  his  professional 
studies  under  the  instruction  of  Dr.  Daniel  Lee  Jones 
and  Dr.  Charles  W.  Rowell,  both  of  Lancaster.  In  1879 
he  graduated  from  the  Philadelphia  school  of  anatomy 
and  surgery,  and  in  the  following  year  from  the  Hahne- 
mann  medical  college  in  Philadelphia.  He  also  gradu- 
ated from  the  Pennsylvania  hospital.  While  at  the 
Hahnemann  college  Dr.  Alexander  won  a  gold  medal 
for  superior  scholarship  in  every  department.  In  the 
spring  of  1 88 1  Dr.  Alexander  came  to  Penacook  and 
established  himself  in  a  practice  which  soon  covered  not 
only  that  village,  but  much  of  the  surrounding  territory. 
In  addition  to  faithful  attention  to  the  needs  of  his  wide 
circle  of  patients  Dr.  Alexander  has  devoted  himself  to 
a  study  of  medical  specialties,  and  among  the  specifics 
which  he  has  given  to  the  world  is  one  of  proven  value 
as  an  exhalant  for  catarrhal  troubles,  which  is  now 
marketed  in  large  quantities  by  a  corporation  which  is 
specially  organized  for  that  purpose.  He  gave  close 
study  to  that  dread  disease,  cancer,  and  attained  wide 
professional  fame  by  his  discovery  of  a  new  treatment 
for  that  malady.  In  applying  this  treatment  so  many 
patients  were  brought  to  him  from  far  and  near  that  a 

467 


STATE  BUILDERS 

permanent  hospital  was  established  in  1898  at  Penacook, 
under  the  name  of  the  Alexander  Sanitarium,  having 
accommodations  for  thirty-five  patients.  This  proving 
inadequate  for  the  suitable  treatment  of  all  the  appli- 
cants, offices  were  established  in  Boston  by  the  Alexan- 
der Corporation,  which  afforded  means  for  caring  for  a 
large  number  of  the  afflicted.  In  addition,  the  remedy 
has  been  given  to  the  medical  profession  at  large  and 
physicians  in  all  quarters  of  the  globe  are  now  success- 
fully using  it  to  cope  with  the  dread  affliction.  June  22, 
1882,  Dr.  Alexander  married  Miss  Fannie  Goodwin,  a 
native  of  North  Attleboro,  Mass.,  and  they  have  two 
children,  the  older  of  whom,  a  daughter,  is  developing 
unusual  talent  as  a  performer  on  the  violin,  in  this  re- 
spect strongly  resembling  her  father,  who  is  an.  excellent 
musician  in  many  lines.  Dr.  Alexander  is  a  Mason  and 
Knights  Templar.  He  is  also  a  member  of  the  Odd  Fel- 
lows and  the  Knights  of  Pythias,  and  in  all  these  fra- 
ternities has  held  high  offices. 

He  is  also  a  member  of  the  Gynecological  and  Surgi- 
cal society  of  Boston.  He  is  a  Trustee  of  the  New  Hamp- 
shire Savings  Bank,  and  has  served  his  town  as  a  member 
of  the  legislature.  For  several  terms  he  was  an  active 
member  of  the  local  school  board,  and  is  a  tower  of 
'strength  to  the  church  of  his  faith,  the  First  Baptist  of 
Penacook. 


468 


CHARLES  S.  COLLINS 


CHARLES  S.  COLLINS. 

In  these  first  years  of  the  twentieth  century  New 
Hampshire  finds  herself  strong  in  the  possession  of  a 
class  of  young-  and  middle-aged  men  that  can,  without 
the  slightest  misgiving,  be  relied  upon  to  safeguard  her 
every  interest  and  to  keep  her  in  the  front  rank  of  Amer- 
ican commonwealths,  that  position  she  has  ever  held  with 
so  much  credit  and  renown. 

Splendidly  representative  of  this  class  and  most  credi- 
tably conspicuous  for  abilities  displayed  and  sustained 
under  varied  and  complex  conditions  is  Charles  S.  Collins 
of  Nashua,  who  by  birth  and  every  inherent  trait  of  char- 
acter and  predilection  is  a  product  of  the  state.  He  is, 
moreover,  a  man  of  to-day  rather  than  of  yesterday,  in 
that  his  is  a  fine  and  comprehensive  grasp  of  forces  as 
they  exist  in  the  present  hour,  and  in  his  discernment  and 
acceptance  of  methods  and  plans  for  the  utilization  of 
these  forces,  that  they  may  result  in  the  greatest  good  to 
the  economic  life  of  the  state.  No  man  is  playing  a 
more  important  part  in  the  commercial,  industrial  and 
economic  initiative  of  the  state  to-day  than  he,  and  in 
this  work  self-interest  is  so  utterly  subservient  as  to 
absolutely  preclude  the  possibility  of  adverse  criticism  if 
such  under  any  condition  could  be  prompted. 

He  is  withal  a  man  of  versatile  talent  and  makeup. 
Specialization  and  contraction  of  energy  have  no  place 
in  his  nature,  but  as  a  free  lance,  as  it  were,  he  responds 
to  the  call  for  a  helper  in  various  and  widely  divergent 

469 


STATE  BUILDERS 

fields  of  human  effort,  that  he  may  with  his  inborn  en- 
thusiasm push  further  along  the  material  interests  of  the 
state. 

Naturally  a  life  directed  along  such  lines  inspires  confi- 
dence, quickens  all  life  with  which  it  comes  in  contact,  dis- 
pels pessimism  and  enthrones  optimism.  His  mission  has 
for  its  purpose  the  advancement  of  all  the  interests  of  all 
New  Hamphire,  and  his  selection  to  fill  the  office  of 
president  of  the  New  Hampshire  state  board  of  trade  was 
a  most  judicious  and  appropiate  one,  for  the  primary 
business  of  that  organization  is  to  make  New  Hampshire 
a  better  place  than  ever  in  which  to  live  either  perman- 
ently or  temporarily.  To  this  end,  Mr.  Collins  would 
have  good  roads  just  as  quickly  as  they  could  be  paid  for 
without  onerously  increasing  the  rate  of  taxation,  for  a 
good  road,  he  has  urged  again  and  again,  has  never  yet 
failed  to  be  its  own  justification  even  when  looked  upon 
in  no  other  light  than  as  a  financial  investment. 

As  president  of  the  state  board  of  trade  he  is  ever  alert 
to  bring  new  industries  into  New  Hampshire,  and  labors 
just  as  zealously  for  the  interests  of  Coos  as  for  Hills- 
borough  County.  His  mental  status,  as  a  glance  at  his 
portrait  shows,  has  exceptional  calculative  force,  and  de- 
cision of  character  and  will  power  are  indicated  in  his  eye. 

Educated  for  the  medical  profession,  which  he  followed 
for  some  fifteen  years  with  entire  success,  its  pursuit 
was  calculated  to  develop  and  strengthen  all  those  in- 
tellectual tendencies  which  to-day  constitute  so  much  of 
the  man.  His  predetermined  identification  with  so  many 
different  interests  was,  in  a  way  at  least,  characteristic  of 
the  medical  profession,  the  members  of  which  in  all  ages 
and  climes  have  been  known  because  of  a  tendency  or  in- 
clination to  have  an  avocation  as  well  as  a  vocation.  To 
members  of  the  medical  profession  is  humanity  indebted 
for  so  many  of  its  triumphs  in  the  fields  of  mechanical 
invention,  in  discovery  among  the  sciences,  but  more 

470 


STATE  BUILDERS 

particularly  perhaps  for  all  that  they  have  wrought  as 
amateur  farmers,  horticulturists  and  florists.  Take  from 
the  list  of  popular  American  fruits  of  all  species  tnose 
that  owe  their  origin  and  introduction  to  members  of  the 
medical  profession  in  days  of  amateur  pomology,  and  it 
would  be  sadly  contracted.  To  a  single  physician 
who  lived  until  recent  years,  does  Northern  New  Eng- 
land owe  millions  of  its  wealth  to  his  skill  and  labor  in 
this  line.  The  same  is  true  in  floriculture  and,  indeed,  in 
all  departments  of  America's  rural  economy.  In  short, 
they  have  done  more  than  any  other  single  class  of  men 
along  these  lines. 

Dr.  Collins  belongs  to  this  class  of  men  having  both  a 
vocation  and  an  avocation,  or  rather  avocations,  and  so 
great  are  the  requirements  of  the  second  named  that  he 
has  relinquished  the  first.  Rather,  is  he  now  "Farmer" 
Collins,  instead  of  "Doctor"  Collins,  for  he  is  the  owner 
of  an  extensive  farm  located  some  four  miles  from  Nashua 
city  hall,  upon  which  he  lives  the  entire  year,  and  the 
management  of  which  he  takes  upon  himself.  As  a 
practical  farmer  he  is  a  success,  as  the  possibilities  of 
farming  and  its  opportunities  for  the  display  of  versatile 
action  are  fully  comprehended  by  him.  Public  life  as  it 
presents  itself  in  its  truest  aspects  has  always  had  a  charm 
for  Dr.  Collins,  as  it  should  to  every  public  spirited 
citizen.  At  the  state  election  of  1888  he  was  elected  as 
a  member  of  the  popular  branch  of  the  state  legislature, 
serving  in  the  session  of  1889.  At  the  succeeding  state 
election  he  was  chosen  a  member  of  the  state  senate,  and 
his  entire  legislative  career  was  simply  a  traditional 
success.  In  the  state  election  of  1902  he  was  the  candi- 
date for  the  Republican  party  again  for  membership  in 
the  lower  branch  of  the  state  legislature,  and  his  own 
party  nomination  received  the  endorsement  of  the  Demo- 
cratic party,  a  compliment  that  must  have  been  exceed- 
ingly gratifying  to  him.  His  sound  judgment  and 


STATE  BUILDERS 

beneficent  spirit  have  ever  prompted  him  to  take  the 
keenest  interest  in  the  public  schools,  and  he  has  honor- 
able service  as  a  member  of  the  Nashua  School  Board. 
He  is  a  member  of  the  Nashua  board  of  trade,  and  is 
ever  ready  to  lend  a  hand  for  the  advancement  o>f  every 
interest  calculated  for  the  good  of  the  community. 

In  January,  1903,  Dr.  Collins  became  a  member  of 
Gov.  Bachelder's  military  family,  occupying"  the  ppsition 
of  commissary-general. 

Graf  ton,  in  Grafton  County,  was  the  birthplace  of 
Gen.  Collins,  and  he  was  born  some  fifty  years  ago,  so 
that  he  is  in  the  very  prime  of  a  vigorous  manhood  and 
ready  for  the  hardest  kind  of  work,  if  work  is  ever  hard 
to  such  a  nature  and  temperament  as  his.  His  parents 
wrere  William  and  Harriet  (Colby)  Collins.  The  senior 
Collins  was  a  physician  of  a  long  continued  practice  in 
central  New  Hampshire.  Gen.  Collins  is  a  descendant 
of  the  Collins  family  of  Quakers  who  long  lived  in 
Amesbury,  Mass.,  and  they  who  know  him  well  need 
not  be  told  that  he  typifies  in  his  strong  and  aggressive 
personality  those  sterling-  Quaker  virtues  of  ceaseless 
industry,  tenacity  of  purpose,  devotion  to  duty,  and  all 
around  integrity  and  manhood  sympathy. 

In  these  mid-summer  days  of  1903  Gen,  Collins,  yield- 
ing to  the  entreaties  of  friends  throughout  the  length  and 
breadth  of  New  Hampshire,  has  consented  to  permit  the 
use  of  his  name  in  the  Republican  state  convention  of 
1904  for  the  gubernatorial  nomination.  Should  they 
be  successful  in  securing  his  nomination  and  election, 
it  is-  the  practically  universal  opinion  that,  in  Gen. 
Collins,  New  Hampshire  would  have  a  governor  that 
would  reflect  the  utmost  credit  upon  the  sound  judgment 
of  her  people. 


472 


JOHN  N.  McCLINTOCK 


JOHN  X.   McCLINTOCK. 

When  in  1871  John  N.  McClintock  married  Miss 
Josephine  Tilton  of  Concord  and  settled  in  that  city,  he 
was  an  official  of  high  rank  in  the  United  States  Coast 
Survey  service,  his  name  appearing  on  charts  of  the  coast 
from  Texas  to  Maine  as  the  maker.  He  had  graduated 
from  Bowdoin  college  in  the  class  of  '67,  had  chosen  as 
a  profession  that  of  civil  engineering,  later  acting  as  an 
instructor  at  his  alma  mater. 

In  1875  he  resigned  from  the  government  service  and 
at  once  became  identified  with  important  and  extensive 
engineering  projects  in  New  Hampshire  and  throughout 
New  England.  As  a  citizen  of  the  state  he  entered 
heartily  into  all  that  was  designed  for  its  social,  educa- 
tional, and  material  well  being  and  advancement,  for  his 
was  a  well-defined  individuality  and  originality,  and 
breadth  of  view  in  all  matters  that  concerned  New  Hamp- 
shire as  a  distinct  community  was  characteristic  of  the 
man.  It  was,  therefore,  as  a  natural  result  that  he  soon 
became  a  leading  citizen  of  the  state. 

In  1879,  in  association  with  Henry  H.  Metcalf,  he 
published  the  Granite  Monthly,  later  assuming  entire 
control.  For  twelve  years  he  conducted  the  magazine, 
and  in  that  time  he  brought  together  in  its  pages  an  in- 
valuable mine  of  historical,  biographical  and  general  mat- 
ter that  constitutes  one  of  the  finest  contributions  to  state 
history  extant,  and  for  which  work  Mr.  McClintock  is  de- 
serving of  -the  unstinted  appreciation  of  New  Hampshire 
people. 

473 


STATE  BUILDERS 

In  1890  Air.  McClintock  brought  out  his  history  of 
New  Hampshire,  the  preparation  of  which  received  his 
utmost  attention,  and  it  remains  to-day  a  most  interesting 
narrative  and  valued  authority. 

In  all  these  years  that  he  was  publisher  and  editor  he 
never  wholly  relinquished  the  practice  of  his  profession, 
but  at  last  in  1891  the  demands  of  his  professional  work 
attained  proportions  that  led  him  to  lay  aside  the  pen  and 
devote  his  undivided  attention  to  engineering.  The  pub- 
lication of  the  Granite  Monthly  \vas  given  over  to  his 
early  partner,  Mr.  Metcalf,  and  shortly  after  this  Mr. 
McClintock  opened  an  office  in  Boston.  His  practice  fre- 
quently calls  him  to  New  Hampshire,  and  he  sustains  a 
deep  interest  in  all  that  relates  to  the  state. 

Mr.  McClintock  is  a  member~of  the  Maine  and  New 
Hampshire  Historical  Societies,  of  several  Boston  clubs, 
including  the  New  Hampshire,  and  is  still  in  active  prac- 
tice, his  work  gradually  drifting  into  that  of  a  consulting 
engineer. 

Mr.  McClintock  is  the  president  and  general  manager 
of  the  American  Sewage  Disposal  Company  of  Boston 
and  also  of  the  American  Water  Purification  Company, 
to  which  corporations  belong  the  basic  patents  covering 
the  biological  systems  of  water  purification.  For  the  past 
eight  years  he  has  made  a  specialty  of  these  lines,  and 
his  reputation  and  practice  now  reaches  throughout  the 
United  States  and  into  many  foreign  countries  as  the 
representative  of  his  companies. 

As  his  name  indicates  he  is  of  Scotch-Irish  ancestry, 
his  pioneer  ancestor  being  William  McClintock,  who  as  a 
boy  migrated  from  Scotland  to  Londonderry,  Ireland,  in 
season  to  take  part  in  the  memorable  defense  of  that  city 
in  1689.  In  1730,  at  the  age  of  sixty,  he  came  with  his 
family  to  New  England.  One  of  his  sons,  the  Rev.  Dr. 
Samuel  McClintock,  for  many  years  pastor  of  the  church 
at  Greenland,  is  well  known  in  New  Hampshire  history 

474 


STATE  BUILDERS 

as  chaplain  of  Gen.  John  Stark's  regiment  at  Bunker  Hill, 
as  the  minister  who  preached  the  first  election  sermon, 
and  as  having  given  four  sons  in  the  Revolution  to  the 
cause  of  liberty. 

William  McClintock,  an  older  brother,  settled  near  the 
ancient  New  England  metropolis  of  Pemaquid;  his  son, 
William  McClintock,  the  grandfather  of  John  N.  McClin- 
tock, was  a  ship-master,  a  trial  justice,  a  fanner,  a  land 
surve'yor,  a  member  of  the  Massachusetts  legislature,  a 
member  of  the  first  Maine  Constitutional  Convention  and 
a  member  of  the  Maine  legislature;  his  son,  John  McClin- 
tock, the  father  of  John  N.  McClintock,  was  a  ship- 
master for  about  fifty  years,  a  skilful  navigator  who  took 
his  ship  into  every  ocean  and  almost  every  port.  One 
of  his  feats  was  to  cross  the  Pacific  Ocean  with  a  watch 
for  a  chronometer  and  an  atlas  as  his  only  chart,  sailing 
from  Japan  soon  after  Commodore  Perry  opened  up  the 
ports  of  that  country  to  American  commerce. 

On  his  mother's  side  John  N.  McClintock  descends 
from  the  Shaw  family  of  Hampton,  he  thinks,  and  from 
the  Reverend  Baileys  who  are  buried  in  the  Granary 
Cemetery  in  Boston.  His  grandfather,  William  Stacy 
Shaw,  was  a  ship-master  and  a  ship-builder. 

Mr.  McClintock  is  specially  interested  in  all  that  per- 
tains to  early  New  England  history  and  in  the-  genealogy 
of  New  England  families.  His  active  practice  forbids 
his  devoting  much  time  to  these  subjects  now,  but  he 
anticipates  much  work  in  those  lines  in  the  future. 


475 


ALFRED   RANDALL  EVANS. 

Not  only  do  the  people  of  the  North  Country  find  in 
Alfred  R.  Evans  a  man  and  citizen  in  whom  they  can 
place  implicit  confidence  to  successfully  and  creditably 
represent  them  in  public  and  official  position,  but  the 
people  of  all  New  Hampshire  recognize  that  in  him  they 
have  one  who  would '  do  honor  to  the  state  in  whatever 
duty  he  might  be  called  upon  to  accept  and  perform. 

Although  much  in  public  life,  Mr.  Evans  has  come  to 
his  various  offices  not  through  self-seeking  but  in  response 
to'  the  sincere  and  earnest  requests  of  his  fellow  citizens, 
confident  as  they  were  that  with  him  in  this  or  that  office 
it  would  not  be  belittled  nor  that  he  would  ever  be  guilty 
of  subserviency  of  manhod  principle  at  the  dictation  of 
political  expediency. 

Mr.  Evans's  most  recent  elective  political  office  was  as 
a  member  of  the  New  Hampshire  state  constitutional 
convention  of  1902,  from  his  home  town  of  Gorham,  and 
in  that  body  of  thoroughly  representative  men  he  played 
his  part  in  a  manner  that  still  further  established  his 
reputation  as  a  safe  man  to  have  in  a  legislative  body; 
a  good  man  to  send  on  a  political  mission. 

Mr.  Evans  is  of  the  best,  truest,  and  oldest  New  Eng- 
land and  New  Hampshire  stock,  and  in  his  own  person- 
ality he  exemplifies  the  teachings,  the  purposes  and  results 
of  that  life,  as  the  citizens  of  Gorham  and  Coos  County, 
who  have  known  him  all  his  life,  will  bear  willing  testi- 
mony. 

476 


ALFRED  RANDALL  EVANS 


STATE  BUILDERS 

He  is  a  native  of  Shelburne  in  Coos  County,  and  was 
born  March  21,  1849.  His  parents  were  Otis  and  Martha 
D.  (Pinkham)  Evans,  sturdy,  respected  and  self-reliant 
residents  of  the  White  Mountain  region.  The  great- 
grandfather of  the  subject  of  this  sketch  served  in  the  war 
of  the  American  Revolution,  and  his  maternal  grand- 
father was  that  Captain  Daniel  Pinkham  who  built  the 
Pinkham  Xotch  road  in  the  White  Mountains,  an  under- 
taking at  the  time  of  no  ordinary  magnitude. 

The  schoolboy  life  of  young  Evans  was  passed  in  the 
common  schools  of  his  native  town,  at  Lancaster  acad- 
emy, the  Nichols  Latin  school  connected  with  Bates  col- 
lege, Lewiston,  Maine;  concluding  his  preparatory  studies 
he  entered  Dartmouth  college  in  his  twentieth  year  and 
graduated  with  the  class  of  1872.  Selecting  the  legal 
profession  as  his  special  field  of  effort  he  studied  law, 
and  on  April  i,  1875,  was  admitted  to  the  New  Hamp- 
shire bar,  and  immediately  began  practice  in  the  town  of 
Gorham.  In  1874.  when  only  twenty-five,  he  was  elected 
to  the  legislature  from  his  native  Shelburne  and  returned 
to  the  same  in  1875  and  yet  again  in  1878.  His  election 
to  the  legislature  for  three  different  terms  at  so  early  an 
age  significantly  showed  the  estimate  placed  upon  him  at 
the  time  by  his  lifelong  neighbors  and  townsmen. 

Fertility  of  resource  and  talent  were  ever  manifest  in 
the  man's  makeup,  and  one  of  the  forms  of  their  display 
has  been  in  the  realm  of  banking  and  finance.  On  Feb- 
ruary 1 8,  1891,  there  was  organized  and  set  in  operation 
in  what  is  now  the  city  of  Berlin  a  national  bank,  and  as 
such  it  was  the  first  institution  of  its  class  in  that  part  of 
New  Hampshire  through  which  flows  the  Androscoggin 
river,  and  of  this  bank  Mr.  Evans  became  its  first  presi- 
dent, an  office  he  held  for  ten  consecutive  years.  In  addi- 
tion to  his  service  as  president  of  the  Berlin  National 
bank  he  now  holds  a  like  position  in  the  Gorham  Five 


Cents  Savings  bank. 


477 


STATE  BUILDERS 

Mr.  Evans  since  1895  has  been  the  judge  of  probate  for 
Coos  County,  the  dignity  and  honor  of  which  position 
bespeak  for  him  the  peculiar  regard  in  which  he  is  held 
by  the  bar  and  public  of  his  home  and  county. 

His  political  affiliations  are  with  the  Republican  party. 
He  is  a  Mason  of  the  thirty-second  degree;  and  an  hono- 
rary member  of  the  New  Hampshire  Veterans  associa- 
tion; and  a  member  of  the  New  Hampshire  club,  Boston. 
June  i,  1880.  he  married  Dora  J.  Briggs.  The  church 
home  of  the  family  is  the  Congregational. 


478 


JOHN  J.  DONAHUE 


JOHN  J.  DONAHUE. 

John  J.  Donahue,  insurance,  Manchester,  was  born  in 
Keene,  New  Hampshire,  August  7,  1859,  and  made  that 
city  his  home  until  he  became  a  resident  of  Manchester. 
His  career  as  a  business  man  has  been  one  of  unvarying- 
success.  Having  received  his  education  in  the  public 
schools  of  Keene,  he  began  as  a  retail  grocer  in  that  place, 
after  which  he  conducted  a  successful  general  store  in 
Peterboro.  In  1890  he  retired  from  mercantile  business 
and  became  associated  with  Cheney  &  Cheney  of  Man- 
chester as  a  representative  of  the  Mutual  Life  Insurance 
Company  of  New  York,  with  an  office  at  Keene.  He 
soon  established  a  very  successful  business  and  became 
known  as  one  of  the  leading  life  insurance  men  in  the 
state.  His  success  led  naturally  to  his  appointment  by 
Cheney  &  Cheney  as  superintendent  of  agencies  for  the 
Mutual  Life  in  New  Hampshire,  and  the  consequent  es- 
tablishment of  his  home  in  Manchester.  Mr.  Donahue 
remained  with  Cheney  &  Cheney  as  superintendent  of 
agencies  until  he  tendered  his  resignation  in  order  to 
assume  the  duties  of  General  Agent  for  New  Hampshire 
of  the  New  England  Mutual  Life  Insurance  Company  of 
Boston,  in  January,  1903. 

Mr.  Donahue  is  a  member  of  the  Improved  Order  of 
Red  Men  and  of  the  Degree  of  Pocahontas.  In  1902,  he 
was  elevated  to  the  stump  of  Great  Sachem  of  the  I.  O. 
R.  M.,  having  been  advanced  through  the  various  sta- 
tions to  the  highest  office  of  the  order  in  the  state.  He 
was  one  of  the  incorporators  of  the  Great  Council  of  New 
Hampshire,  I.  O.  R.  M.,  and  was  one  of  the  special  com- 
mittee which  secured  its  charter. 

479 


STATE  BUILDERS 

The  Improved  Order  of  Red  Men  occupies  a  promi- 
nent position  among-  the  fraternal  societies  of  the 
United  States  and  boasts  a  history  long  and  honor- 
able. While  the  order  has  been  known  by  its  present 
name  only  since  1834,  indisputable  facts  link  it  as  a 
society  to  organizations  which  had  their  origin  as  early 
as  1765,  the  period  when  rebellious  feelings  against 
the  oppression  of  England  were  taking  the  form  of 
open  hostility  among  the  colonists.  Secret  consulta- 
tions among  neighbors  gradually  became  organized 
meetings,  and  these  in  turn  resolved  themselves  into  a 
secret  society  with  purposes  purely  patriotic,  under  the 
name  of  the  "Sons  of  Liberty,"  which  existed  at  first 
among  the  northern  and  middle  colonies.  This  society 
took  a  leading  part  in  all  patriotic  movements  from  1765 
to  the  Declaration  of  Independence,  its  members  being 
the  heroes  of  the  famous  Boston  Tea  Party. 

In  the  year  1771  the  Sons  of  Liberty  became  the  "Sons 
of  St.  Tamina,"  or  the  "St.  Tamina  Society,"  adopting 
as  their  patron  saint  an  old  Indian  chief  or  king,  named 
Tamina.  The  connecting  link  between  these  early  patri- 
otic societies  and  the  Improved  Order  of  Red  Men  of  the 
present  day  was  the  "Society  of  Red  Men,"  organized  in 
1816.  In  1834  the  order  as  it  exists  to-day  came  into 
being  in  Baltimore,  adding  to  the  patriotic  and  social 
objects  of  the  past,  the  fraternal  spirit  which  now  charac- 
terizes it.  The  growth  of  Redmanship  has  been  rapid. 
From  a  membership  of  ten  thousand  in  1861,  it  has  in- 
creased to  over  300,000. 

The  I.  O.  R.  M.  was  introduced  into  Xew  Hampshire 
in  1875,  when  Paugus  Tribe,  No.  i,  was  instituted  at 
Salmon  Falls.  The  Great  Council  of  Xew  Hampshire 
was  formed  in  1881  and  was  incorporated  in  1899.  The 
record  for  the  past  of  this,  the  oldest  order  in  the  country 
which  is  of  truly  American  origin,  is  satisfactory  and  its 
outlook  for  the  future  most  promising. 

Mr.  Donahue  is  also  a  member  of  the  Knights  of 
Pythias,  Patrons  of  Husbandry  and  the  Foresters  of 
America,  in  which  for  four  years  he  served  as  Grand 

480 


STATE  BUILDERS 

Secretary  for  New  Hampshire  and  later  as  Grand  Trus- 
tee. Among  the  social  organizations  of  which  Mr.  Dona- 
hue is  a  member  are  the  White  Mountain  Commercial 
Travelers,  Amoskeag  Veterans  and  the  Monadnock 
Cycle  Club  of  Keene,  a  business  men's  club  of  that  city 
of  which  he  is  an  ex-president  and  honorary  member. 
He  is  one  of  the  incorporators  of  the  Elliot  City  Hos- 
pital of  Keene  and  of  the  Cheshire  County  Savings  Bank. 
Mr.  Donahue  has  been  active  in  politics  also,  having 
taken  part  in  every  campaign  since  attaining  his  majority. 
He  is  recognized  as  a  brilliant  public  speaker  and  has 
addressed  audiences  in  many  of  the  cities  and  towns  of 
the  state.  He  has  the  distinction  of  having  delivered  the 
address  at  the  first  Peace  Jubilee  held  in  New  Hampshire 
on  the  return  of  the  soldiers  from  the  Spanish  War.  In 
the  New  Hampshire  Legislature  of  1903  Mr.  Donahue 
represented  ward  two  of  Manchester  and  was  chairman 
of  the  important  committee  on  insurance,  which  was  one 
of  the  busiest  committees  of  the  session.  Both  in  the 
committee  room  and  on  the  floor  of  the  House,  Mr. 
Donahue  earned  the  reputation  of  being  an  able  legislator, 
being  quick,  eloquent  and  powerful  in  debate,  so  that  he 
will  be  remembered  as  one  of  the  most  potent  factors  in 
the  Legislature  of  1903. 


481 


JOHN  H.  ROBERTS. 

Massachusetts  is  not  alone  in  her  appreciation  of  that 
sterling  manhood  that  has  come  to  her  from  the  rugged 
hillsides  of  the  Granite  State,  for  New  Hampshire  ever 
maintains  the  keenest  possible  interest  in  those  absent 
sons  and  daughters  who  have  gone  beyond  her  borders 
to  participate  in  the  affairs  of  other  states. 

Among  the  multitude  of  men  of  New  Hampshire  birth 
who  have  made  their  mark  amid  the  busy  and  varied 
scenes  of  the  old  Bay  State  is  Major  John  H.  Roberts 
of  Maiden,  in  that  state. 

Major  Roberts  was  born  in  Ossipee,  the  shire  town  of 
Carroll  County,  in  1839,  and  he  was  educated  in  the  com- 
mon schools  of  the  city  of  Dover. 

In  early  manhood  he  drifted  to  Massachusetts  and 
became  a  ship  fitter.  His  ability  and  proficiency  in  this 
calling  secured  recognition  from  those  in  authority,  and 
he  finally  became  master  ship  fitter  at  the  Charlestown 
Navy  Yard  and  foreman  for  twenty  years. 

Major  Roberts  has  been  twice  married.  In  1870  he 
married  Miss  Marestea  Corey.  Three  daughters,  Rosa- 
mond E.,  Etta  May  and  Maud,  were  born  of  this  mar- 
riage. In  1897  he  married  Emily  A.  Gallup.  In  frater- 
nal organization  he  is  a  member  of  Joseph  Webb  Lodge, 
F.  and  A.  M.,  and  of  Hancock  Commandery,  Knights 
Templar.  In  church  affiliations  he  is  a  Unitarian.  The 
nature  of  his  position  in  the  service  of  the  United  States 
Government  has  precluded  him  from  holding  political 
positions. 

482 


JOHN  H.  ROBERTS 


EDWIN  G.  EASTMAN 


EDWIN  G.  EASTMAN. 

Attorney-General  Edwin  G.  Eastman,  of  Exeter,  is  a 
type  of  the  earnest,  clearheaded  and  sound-hearted 
New  Hampshire  lawyer.  He  was  born  in  the  town  of 
Grantham,  Nov.  22nd,  1847,  and  received  his  education 
in  the  common  schools  of  the  town,  supplemented  with  a 
course  at  Kimball  Union  academy,  at  Meriden,  and 
Dartmouth  college,  from  which  latter  institution  he  grad- 
uated in  the  class  of  1874.  Adopting  the  law  as  his 
profession  he  studied  with  A.  P.  Carpenter  of  Bath,  and 
in  1876  he  was  admitted  to  the  bar.  In  September  of 
that  year  he  began  the  practice  of  his  profession  in 
Exeter  and  was  for  a  time  a  partner  of  the  late  Gen. 
Gilnian  Marston.  In  1876  Mr.  Eastman  was  elected  a 
representative  from  Grantham,  and  he  was  a  member  of 
the  state  senate  in  1889.  He  served  as  solicitor  for 
Rockingham  county  from  1883  to'  1887,  and  in  1891  was 
appointed  attorney-general  of  the  state,  upon  the  death 
of  the  late  Daniel  Barnard  of  Franklin,  and  still  holds 
(1903)  that  responsible  office.  Of  Mr.  Eastman  it  may 
be  said  that  the  position  he  holds  at  the  bar  he  has 
merited  by  character,  industry  and  ability.  Nothing 
has  come  to  him  without  effort,  but  much  study  and 
patient  effort  has  brought  to  him  merited  reward.  As 
solicitor  of  the  county  of  Rockingham  and  as  attorney- 
general  of  the  state  he  has  had  to  do  with  many  im- 
portant civil  and  criminal  cases.  To  their  consideration 
he  has  brought  a  great  habit  of  industry  and  a  sincere 
devotion  to  his  duties  to  the  public.  In  the  prepara- 
tion of  his  cases  he  has  left  nothing  undone  that  would 
secure  the  ends  of  justice.  As  an  advocate  before  a  jury 

483 


STATE  BUILDERS 

Attorney-General  Eastman  is  very  effective.  His  con- 
vincing method  of  summing  up  the  evidence  and  his 
evident  sincerity  and  directness  of  purpose  predisposing 
the  jurymen  to  a  favorable  consideration  of  his  views. 
Mr.  Eastman  is  a  man  quick  and  almost  impulsive  in 
forming  conclusions,  but  with  a  judgment  so  trained  and 
experienced  that  it  seldom  goes  astray,  and  his  advice 
is  valued  as  that  of  a  thoroughly  conscientious,  sagacious 
and  well-informed  man.  His  political  career  was  credit- 
able and  he  is  often  mentioned  as  qualified  for  service 
in  the  national  legislature. 

Mr.  Eastman  is  greatly  interested  in  the  business 
affairs  and  prosperity  of  the  community  of  which  he  is 
a  part.  He  is  one  of  the  directors  of  the  Exeter 
Manufacturing  co.,  Vice-president  and  director  of  the 
Exeter  Banking  co.,  and  Vice-president  and  trustee  of 
the  Union  Five  Cent  savings  bank  of  Exeter,  besides 
being  interested  in  other  enterprises. 

He  lives  in  a  handsome  and  comfortable  home  in 
Exeter,  and  with  characteristic  love  for  his  native  town 
spends  his  summers  at  Grantham.  In  his  legal  practice 
he  finds  it  necessary  to  keep  offices  in  Concord  as  well  as 
Exeter.  In  fine,  Attorney-General  Eastman  is  a  worthy 
successor  to  the  long  line  of  distinguished  lawyers  who 
have  filled  the  office  of  attorney-general. 


484 


EBENEZER  LEARNED,  M.D. 

A  physician  of  the  old  school  closely  identified  with  the 
life  of  central  New  Hampshire  in  the  earliest  decades  of 
the  nineteenth  century,  was  Ebenezer  Learned,  M.  D.,  a 
descendant  of  a  fine  old  New  England  family,  and  born  in 
Medford,  Mass.,  Oct.  13,  1762.  Displaying  an  early  fond- 
ness for  natural  science  and  analytic  research,  he  was 
given  a  liberal  education  and  graduated  from  Harvard 
college  with  honors  in  1/87,  being  a  classmate  of  Presi- 
dent John  Quincy  Adams  and  others  afterward  noted  in 
the  history  of  the  country,  with  whom  throughout  his  life 
he  maintained  an  active  correspondence. 

Upon  graduation  he  taught  for  several  years  in  the 
academy  at  Leominster,  Mass.,  and  then  studied  medicine 
with  Dr.  Edward  A.  Holyoke  at  Salem,  Mass.,  one  of  the 
most  remarkable  members  of  the  profession  then  living. 
In  1795,  he  established  himself  in  practice  at  Hopkinton 
in  this  state,  then  an  important  centre,  being  the  shire 
town  of  Merrimack  county,  the  seat  of  the  state  govern- 
ment and  the  home  of  much  cultured  society. 

Of  striking  personal  appearance  and  possessing  re- 
markable professional  attainments,  Dr.  Learned's  success 
was  instantaneous.  His  expectations  were  more  than  real- 
ized, and  for  nearly  forty  years  he  was  the  leading  figure 
in  his  profession  throughout  a  large  section  of  country. 
He  ever  availed  himself  of  all  the  advantages  afforded  for 
study  and  research,  and  his  professional  library  was  large 
and  valuable.  He  made  regular  and  extended  visits  to 
Boston  where  he  kept  in  touch  with  the  scientific  progress 
of  the  day,  and  hfe  was  recognized  in  his  profession  as  a 
man  of  scholarship  and  professional  skill.  In  1820,  he  re- 
ceived the  honorary  degree  of  Doctor  of  Medicine  from 

485 


STATE  BUILDERS 

Dartmouth  college,  and  was  the  first  delegate  sent  from 
the  New  Hampshire  Medical  society  to<  that  institution. 
In  this  society  he  was  active  and  prominent,  and  held  all 
of  its  offices  excepting  the  presidency,  to  which  he  was 
to  have  been  elected  under  precedent  in  the  year  of  his 
death. 

As  a  citizen,  Dr.  Learned  was  a  promoter  of  all  good 
objects  and  was  a  leader  in  all  efforts'  for  the  diffusion  of 
knowledge  or  the  advancement  of  science,  giving  liberal- 
ly of  his  means  and  time  for  the  success  of  such  move- 
ments. He  organized  several  literary  and  benevolent 
societies  and  was  the  founder  of  Hopkinton  Academy,  be- 
ing its  president  and  generous  patron  during  his  entire 
life.  Under  his  administration  of  its  affairs  the  academy 
prospered  greatly,  the  teachers  whom  he  selected  were 
masters  in  the  art  of  instruction,  and  the  pupils  for  several 
years  numbered  two  hundred.  He  was  one  of  the  pro- 
moters of  the  Merrimack  county  agricultural  society  and 
its  first  president,  and  he  frequently  lectured  on  agricul- 
ture, botany  and  allied  topics,  many  of  his  suggestions 
and  conclusions  being  far  in  advance  of  his  time,  as  for 
example,  he  was  the  first  in  his  section  to'  make  use  of  dry 
air  for  the  preservation  of  fruits  and  vegetables. 

In  politics  Dr.  Learned  was  affiliated  with  the  liberals 
and  Whig  parties,  and  in  1812,  he  was  local  president  of 
a  widely  organized  political  society  called  the  "Washing- 
ton Benevolent  Society."  In  that  year  he  delivered  the 
annual  address  before  its  state  convention. 

He  was  reared  in  the  Unitarian  faith  and  adhered  to 
this  creed  through  his  life,  although  he  gave  equally  to 
all  the  churches  in  the  town,  and  in  his  will  remembered 
the  pastors  of  each  of  them.  Among  other  bequests  was 
one  for  the  foundation  of  the  juvenile  library  in  West 
Cambridge,  now  Arlington,  Mass.,  which  was  probably 
the  first  public  library  in  that  state.  He  was  twice  mar- 
ried. He  died  October  6,  1831,  leaving  a  wife  and 
eight  children. 

486 


JOHN  WILLEY 


JOHN  WILLEY. 

Among  the  widely  known  and  sincerely  respected  resi- 
dents of  the  town  of  Jackson  throughout  the  last  sixty 
odd  years  of  the  nineteenth  century  was  John  Willey, 
farmer,  man  of  affairs  and  local  preacher  in  the  church 
of  his  chosen  faith.  He  was  a  native  and  life-long  resi- 
dent of  the  state  and  one  more  typical  of  the  old-time  life 
of  state  and  community  it  would  be  difficult  to  find. 

Born  in  Barnstead,  December  20,  1827,  he  went  as  a 
young  man  to  Jackson  and  immediately  identified  him- 
self with  the  progress  and  affairs  of  the  town  which  its 
founders  had  placed  amid  the  foothills  of  the  White 
Mountains.  As  a  boy  he  had  displayed  a  decided  apti- 
tude for  knowledge,  and  gained  marked  proficiency  as  a 
pupil  in  the  schools  of  Barnstead,  and  later,  when  en- 
rolled as  a  student  in  the  old-time  and  famed  Gilmanton 
academy.  Upon  the  completion  of  his  course  at  the 
academy  he  taught  school,  and  also  gave  instruction  in 
penmanship,  an  art  in  which  he  early  became  an  adept  and 
known  in  all  the  region  about  Jackson. 

Not  only  was  he  known  as  boy  and  man  for  intellec- 
tual attainment,  but  for  his  skill  and  strength  as  an  ath- 
lete and  ability  iri  the  general  list  of  field  sports.  A  man 
of  many  gifts,  he  successfully  essayed  public  speaking, 
and  proved  himself  versatile  in  writing  upon  various 
subjects  and  topics  of  the  times.  His  natural  and  ac- 
quired abilities  in  all-round  scholarship  led  to  his  taking 
an  active  and  prominent  part  in  the  political  affairs  of  his 
times,  and  likewise  led  to  his  acquiring  a  deal  of  legal 
knowledge,  which  caused  him  to  become  a  trusted  ad- 
viser and  counsellor.  He  was  known  for  his  strong 

487 


STATE  BUILDERS 

and  sturdy  common  sense  and  sound  judgment  in  all 
matters  that  arose  in  the  community.  From  his  indus- 
trious boyhood  days  to  the  closing  hours  of  an  honored 
old  age,  he  was  a  close  and  ardent  student  of  the  Bible, 
and  his  store  of  biblical  lore  was  hardly  surpassed  by 
any  of  his  contemporaries  anywhere  in  New  Hampshire. 
He  not  only  read  his  Bible  in  the  spirit  of  the  faithful 
disciple  he  was,  but  as  an  intelligent  expounder  of  its 
teachings  and  doctrines.  He  traveled  in  the  Way  him- 
self and  influenced  and  exhorted  others  to  do  likewise. 
In  religion  he  was  an  Adventist,  and  it  was  in  this  de- 
nominational belief  that  he  became  a  local  preacher,  and 
many  was  the  occasion  that  he  filled  the  pulpit  of  the  vil- 
lage church.  For  more  than  a  score  of  years  he  served 
as  the  superintendent  of  the  Sunday  school  in  his  church, 
and  in  all  the  ecclesiastical  life  of  his  town  he  was  a  vital 
and  vitalizing  factor.  His  life  throughout  was  an  em- 
bodiment of  that  sterling  manhood  and  yeomanry  that 
made  possible  the  splendid  humanity  of  the  state. 

At  the  age  of  twenty-four  he  married  Miss  Eliza  J. 
Dearborn  of  Jackson  and  eleven  children  came  to  bless 
this  union,  eight  sons  and  three  daughters.  Mrs.  Willey 
and  five  of  the  sons  are  living.  Of  the  sons,  Charles  F. 
is  a  hotel  keeper  in  Lexington,  Mass.;  Alvin  S.  is  a  resi- 
dent of  Manchester;  Nelson  S.  is  the  landlord  of  the 
Squamscott  House,  Exeter;  while  George  Franklyn  is 
the  well-known  newspaper  and  book  publisher  and  author 
of  Manchester.  The  youngest  living  son  is  Clarence 
K.  of  Merrimack,  and  proprietor  of  the  Monomack  House 
in  that  town. 


488 


IRA  H.  ADAMS,  M.  D. 


IRA  H.  ADAMS,  M.  D. 

It  was  given  to  Ira  H.  Adams  to  live  but  a  brief  fifty- 
one  years,  yet  so  diligently  did  he  improve  his  allotted 
moments  upon  earth  that  he  accomplished  as  great  a 
measure  of  work  as  do  most  men  who  live  the,  Psalmist's 
span  of  days  and  years.  Choosing  the  medical  profes- 
sion as  a  life  calling,  he  zealously  engaged  in  all  its  ex- 
actions and  responsibilities  with  the  single  aim  in  view  of 
doing  good  and  ameliorating  the  condition  of  his  fellow- 
men.  His  was  a  generous  heart,  a  sympathetic  mind, 
and  abounding  spirit  of  love  toward  the  sick  and  the 
afflicted.  It  was  said  of  him :  "He  was  a  man  of  large 
heart  of  love.  A  man  who  was  a  true  friend." 

He  was  born  in  the  town  of  Pomfret,  Vermont,  Au- 
gust 10,  1846,  the  son  of  James  and  Eunice  (Mitchell) 
Adams.  He  attended  the  public  schools  of  his  native 
town  and  a  preparatory  school  in  Merjden.  In  the  fur- 
therance of  his  purpose  to  become  a  physician  he  entered 
the  medical  department  of  Bowdoin  College,  Brunswick, 
Maine,  and  later  became  a  student  in  the  medical  school 
of  Dartmouth  College,  from  which  he  graduated.  In 
1874,  at  the  age  of  twenty-eight,  he  began  the  practice 
of  medicine  in  Hooksett,  but  after  a  short  while  removed 
to  the  town  of  Derry,  which  was  ever  after  his  home. 

Upon  taking  up  his  residence  in  Derry  he  identified 
himself,  and  actively  so,  with  all  that  was  designed  for  the 
good  of  the  town.  He  quickly  gained  a  reputation  for 
his  learning  and  skill  as  a  physician.  His  rugged  hon- 
esty, his  sterling  manhood  and  all  around  ability  won 
for  him  the  utmost  respect  and  ardent  admiration  of  his 
fellow  townsmen.  Again  it  was  said  of  him :  "As  you 

489 


STATE  BUILDERS 

came  to  know  him  you  felt  that  he  was  no  common  man. 
He  was  wise,  learned  and  sympathetic.  His  hand  and 
heart  were  always  open  to  do  good." 

As  a  member  of  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fel- 
lows Dr.  Adams  attained  to  high  rank  in  that  organiza- 
tion and  extended  his  circle  of  acquaintances  throughout 
and  beyond  the  State.  He  passed  through  all  the  chairs 
to  that  of  grand  patriarch  and  grand  representative  to  the 
sovereign  grand  lodge.  Odd  Fellows  everywhere  had 
come  to  recognize  him  as  one  of  their  foremost  members. 

His  church  affiliation  was  as  a  member  of  St.  Luke's 
Methodist  Episcopal  Church  of  Derry,  and  as  one  of  this 
flock  he  was  active,  zealous  and  devout.  He  was  a  co- 
worker  with  the  pastors  of  the  churches,  striving  ever  to 
give  spiritual  as  well  as  bodily  comfort  and  cheer.  Whole 
souled,  cheerful,  sincere  and  ever  striving  to  do  good  to 
his  fellow  mortal,  it  was  but  natural  that  upon  his  death 
the  whole  town  should  mourn  him  as  its  own  dead.  He 
passed  away  on  September  15,  1897,  at  the  age  of  fifty- 
one.  The  entire  town,  as  it  were,  attended  the  funeral 
of  their  beloved  friend  and  physician.  No  other  citizen 
of  Derry,  at  his  death,  was  ever  the  object  of  such  general 
sorrow.  People  of  all  denominations,  nationalities  and 
worldly  conditions  followed  him  to  the  grave.  His  sepul- 
chre was  a  mound  of  flowers,  expressions  of  the  loving 
regard  of  friends. 

August  31,  1875,  Dr.  Adams  married  Miss  Louise  S. 
Perley  of  Lempster,  who  with  two  children  survive  him. 
A  son,  Richard  Herbert,  is  an  esteemed  citizen  of  Derry, 
while  the  daughter,  Jennie  Louise,  is  the  wife  of  George 
Franklyn  Willey,  the  author-publisher  of  Manchester. 


490 


SAMUEL  B.  TARRANTE 


SAMUEL  B.  TARRANTE 

In  this  year  of  1903  it  is  but  thirty-three  years  since 
Samuel  B.  Tarrante  was  born  in  that  city  of  England 
called  Chester,  the  founding  of  which  was  practically 
coeval  )with  the  beginning  of  the  Christian  era  and 
where  successively  dwelt  the  Romans,  Britons,  Saxons, 
and  Danes.  In  all  the  near  two  thousand  years  of  its 
corporate  existence  ancient  Chester  has  been  renowned 
for  its  architecture,  its  ecclesiastical  life,  its  wall  that 
girdles  the  city  and  still  as  perfect  and  entire  as  in  the 
days  of  the  Roman  and  the  Briton;  yet  above  all  is  it  re- 
nowned for  its  generations  of  great  and  learned  and  suc- 
cessful men  and  women. 

Young  Tarrante  was  but  three  years  old  when  he 
passed,  with  his  parents,  Samuel  and  Eliza  (Burwell) 
Tarrante,  through  the  gates  of  his  native  Chester  and 
sailed  away  for  America  with  Montreal  as  the  objective 
point.  The  childhood  years  of  the  boy  were  passed  in 
the  Canadian  city,  attending  the  city  schools  until  into  his 
teens,  when  he  became  a  clerk  in  a  store.  While  yet  a 
boy  he  drifted  to  Holyoke,  Mass.,  and  there  continued  his 
calling  as  a  clerk.  Returning  to  Montreal  he  engaged 
with  his  father  to  learn  the  hair  goods  business  in  all  its 
phases  and  ramifications.  It  was  the  ancestral  calling  of 
the  family,  as  it  had  been  continued  for  five  generations 
after  the  custom  which  has  for  so  long  obtained  in  Eng- 
land. 

After  the  completion  of  his  apprenticeship  and  at  the 
close  of  a  service  as  a  journeyman  in  Montreal,  he  ac- 
cepted an  offered  position  in  a  Lawrence  (Mass.)  hair 

491 


STATE  BUILDERS 

goods  store.  Beginning-  in  a  subordinate  position,  he 
displayed  such  a  degree  of  efficiency,  tact  and  business 
ability  that  he  was  advanced  through  grade  after  grade 
until  he  became  manager  of  the  store,  with  his  duties  and 
responsibilities  equal  to  all  they  would  have  been  had  he 
been  proprietor  of  the  store.  It  was  an  excellent  school 
for  the  young  man,  then  just  in  his  early  twenties.  His 
industry  was  of  the  incessant  type,  well  regulated  and 
directed  with  a  splendid  method.  He  made  it  a  rule  to 
save  a  stated  portion  of  his  salary  and  religiously  adhered 
to  this  rule.  Adept  as  he  was  classed  in  his  chosen  call- 
ing, he  was  ever  a  student  in  his  business  and  ever  alert 
to  learn  more  of  its  features  and  details.  The  lapse  of  a 
few  years  found  him  possessed  of  a  snug  little  sum  of 
money,  and  impelled  onward,  not  only  by  an  ambition 
but  a  determination  to  be  further  along  in  the  highway 
of  commercial  success  than  he  was  yesterday,  he  came  by 
this  same  force  within  him  to  engage  in  business  on  his 
own  account  in  the  city  of  Manchester. 

It  was  in  1898  that  he  opened  a  store  in  Manchester 
and  founded  a  business  that  has  been  so  wisely  managed 
as  to  become  in  the  short  space  of  five  years  the  largest  of 
its  kind  in  all  New  England  and  that  has  placed  him 
among  the  foremost  merchants  in  all  New  Hampshire. 
Indeed,  facts  as  they  are  fully  warrant  and  permit  the 
assertion  that  he  is  one  of  the  most  conspicuously  success- 
ful men  of  affairs  that  his  home  city  of  Manchester,  with 
all  its  great  commercial  and  industrial  interests,  has 
known  in  the  present  generation. 

The  true  explanation  of  Mr.  Tarrante's  success  is  not 
to  be  found  in  any  "run  of  luck,"  nor  by  the  aid  of  influ- 
ential friends,  but  is  wholly  owing  to  his  proficiency  in 
knowing  all  that  pertained  to  his  business,  and  in  its  skil- 
ful, wise  and  persistent  application  to  the  work  in  hand. 
In  addition  to  his  Manchester  store  he  owns  and  oper- 
ates stores  in  Lawrence  and  New  Bedford,  Mass.  Pos- 

492 


STATE  BUILDERS 

sessing  brilliant  executive  talents  and  fine  powers  of  com- 
prehension, he  keeps  the  details  of  all  his  stores  in  con- 
stant sight  of  his  business  eye,  thus  having  entire  famil- 
iarity with  every  transaction.  A  natural  born  merchant 
and  business  man,  even  the  management  of  his  several 
stores  does  not  engross  his  whole  attention,  but  he  finds 
time  to  enter  extensively  into  other  enterprises.  He  has 
large  realty  holdings  in  the  city  of  Manchester  and  town 
of  Deny,  and  besides  identification  with  real  estate,  he 
has  to  do  with  the  financing  of  a  wide  range  of  undertak- 
ings. Uniformly  prosperous  in  his  many  interests,  it  is 
because  he  engages  in  them  only  after  he  has  eliminated 
all  haphazard  and  chance  features. 

In  September,  1898,  Mr.  Tarrante  married  Miss  Min- 
nie Elizabeth  Herzog  of  Lawrence,  Mass.  One  son, 
Samuel  C,  has  been  born  of  this  union.  Mr.  Tarrante 
in  fraternal  organizations  is  an  Odd  Fellow,  a  Patriarch 
Militant  and  a  member  of  the  Patrons  of  Husbandry,  and 
the  Franklin  Street  Congregational  is  the  church  home  of 
the  family. 


493 


GEORGE  FRANKLYN  WILLEY 

Nestling  among  the  foothills  of  the  White  Mountains 
in  the  state  of  New  Hampshire  is  the  little  town  of 
Jackson,  a  gem  of  human  life  in  a  setting  of  awe-inspir- 
ing grandeur  and  magnificence.  To  its  immediate  north 
and  north-west,  Black  Mountain  lifts  its  mighty  .propor- 
tions, a  curtain  as  it  were  that  tempers  the  bleak  and 
pitiless  North  winds  of  winter  and  serves  as  a  soul  inspir- 
ing prelude  to  the  still  grander  drama  that  Nature  unfolds 
behind  this  curtain. 

Hither  to  this  region  came  the  rugged,  honest  and 
fearless  pioneer  ere  the  closing  decades  of  the  eighteenth 
century  and  here  he  fixed  his  habitation  and  abiding  place 
upon  earth.  He  was  in  the  depths  of  a  primeval  forest, 
but  his  right  arm  was  strong,  his  mind  clear  and  his 
purpose  distinct.  But  above  all  the  factors  in  the  daily 
life  and  action  of  this  son  of  the  Puritans  was  his  abiding, 
unhesitating  faith  that  the  One  who  made  the  great 
White  Hills  would  bless  the  means  he  was  employing  to 
make  for  himself  and  his  a  home  at  their  feet.  It  was 
not  the  custom  of  the  Puritan  nor  of  his  descendants  to 
pray  the  God  of  nature  for  a  blessing  through  super- 
natural channels,  but  always  to  bless  the  means  and  the 
agencies  he  himself  would  employ  for  its  accomplishment. 

The  pioneer  in  the  White  Mountain  territory  delved 
from  the  rising  to  the  setting  of  the  sun  and  in  this  work 
of  home  building  he  developed  his  physical  and  mental 
beings  along  lines  that  were  in  sweetest  consonance  with 
physiological  la.w.  There  was  but  one  sequel  to  this  daily 
routine;  a  sequel  as  inevitable  as  divine  truth  itself,  and 
that  is  progress;  and  progress  is  accomplishment;  accom- 

494 


GEORGE  FRANKLYN  WILLEY 


STATE  BUILDERS 


plishment — success.  The  success  that  the  pioneer  won 
in  the  fastnesses  and  at  the  gateways  of  the  White  Moun- 
tains was,  in  its  highest  and  best  type,  in  the  form  of  a 
manhood  capable  of  standing  in  the  most  exalted  places 


BIRTHPLACE    OF    GEORGE    FRANKLYN    WILLEY WINTER 

known  in  human  life.  It  was  a  manhood  that  has  kept 
American  human  life  ever  progressive  and  never  retro- 
gressive. A  manhood  that  springs  from  a  recognition 
and  appreciation  of  the  fact  that  life  is  a  duty,  not  a 
dream  nor  a  pastime.  The  dutiful  and  devoted  Ruth 
forsook  the  ease  of  her  own  home  and  followed  the 

495 


STATE  BUILDERS 

fortunes  of  Naomi,  regardless  of  the  frowning  prospect. 
She  accepted  and  took  up  with  a  cheerful  heart  the  first 
labor  that  presented  itself  in  the  land  of  her  mother-in- 
law, — the  gleaning  of  the  fallen  straws  after  the  reapers. 
The  fidelity  to  a  trust,  the  recognition  of  duty,  brought 
to  her  and  her  line  an  undreamed  of  reward.  Ere  four 
generations  had  passed,  her  descendants  were  upon  the 
throne  of  David  and  a  line  of  mighty  kings  succeeded, 
culminating  with  the  coming  of  the  Messiah. 

The  keynote  of  the  old  regime  in  New  England  was 
the  cheerful  acceptance  of  duty  and  the  performance  of 
work  and  from  this  have  proceeded  that  strength  and 
power  which  have  builded  a  mighty  empire.  That  ster- 
ling and  resourceful  manhood  and  womanhood  that  had 
its  birth  amid  the  hills  of  New  Hampshire  has  been  a 
potent  and  incalculable  factor  in  the  development  of 
the  nation's  rich  and  innumerable  resources,  as  it  has 
for  generations  gone  forth  from  its  native  hearths  out 
into  new  fields  and  new  states.  This  force  that  has  made 
itself  felt  from  the  Atlantic  to  the  Pacific,  had  its  incep- 
tion in  the  Puritan  ideas,  that  life  was  a  duty  and  in  labor 
alone  is  accomplishment  and  progress.  It  was  this  identi- 
cal idea  that  controlled  and  actuated  the  daily  life  of 
Ruth. 

Of  this  latest  generation  that  has  come  down  out  of  the 
mountain  region  into  the  plains  below,  is  George 
weary  one  not  sustained  by  that  abounding  faith  that 
characterized  the  daily  life  of  the  early  settlers.  Unlike 
the  great  multitude,  however,  Mr.  Willey  has  remained 
Franklyn  Willey,  whose  forbears  were  among  those  who 
directed  labor  obstacles  that  would  have  made  faint  and 
cleared  the  primeval  forest  and  built  up  the  town  of 
Jackson,  braving  every  danger  and  overcoming  by  well 
within  the  limits  of  his  native  New  Hampshire,  instead 
of  seeking  a  field  of  action  beyond  its  borders.  In  the 
kaleidoscopic  changes  of  the  country's  material  life,  he 
believed  he  saw  within  the  realms  of  his  own  state,  as 

496 


STATE  BUILDERS 

many  and  as  wide  opportunities  for  the  display  of  his 
innate  abilities  as  were  afforded  elsewhere.  This  decision 
on  his  part  is  significant  and  pregnant  with  meaning,  in 
view  of  the  sequel  that  has  come  so  early  in  his  career, 
for  he  is  in  this  year  of  1903,  but  thirty-three  and,  there- 
fore, as  the  years  of  man  are  counted,  but  upon  the 
threshold  of  middle  life. 


BIRTHPLACE    OF    GEORGE    FRANKLYN    WILLEY SUMMER 

The  rewards  that  come  to  duty  performed  and  laws 
fulfilled  in  physiological  life  are  cumulative.  They  do  not 
cease  with  a  single  generation  unless  ruthlessly  and 
criminally  disregarded.  The  generations  of  the  Pilgrims 
and  Puritans  down  to  within  fifty  years  were  distin- 
guished for  an  undeviating  adherence  to  the  moral 
and  ecclesiastical  views  and  principles  of  the  forefathers. 

497 


STATE  BUILDERS 

These  views,  principles  and  practices  were  fixed  charac- 
teristics of  New  England  life  and  were  the  basis  of 
American  national  development.  They  were  the  funda- 
mentals of  that  life. 

Reared  among  the  mountains,  inured  to  hard  work 
from  childhood  and  breathing  an  atmosphere  calculated 
to  kindle  and  foster  every  ennobling  trait  in  human  life, 
it  is  but  natural  that  Mr.  Willey  should  be  possessed  of 
a  wonderful  capacity  for  work;  that  his  intellectual  dis- 
cernment should  be  capable  of  a  quick  comprehensive  and 
like  decision  in  the  multifarious  affairs  that  come  to 
him  daily. 

The  boyhood  and  early  manhood  years  of  Mr.  Willey 
were  passed  on  the  ancestral  farm  and  in  attending 
school,  but  in  this  instance  it  should  be  understood  that 
what  is  meant  by  his  early  manhood  years  are  those 
comprised  within  his  teens,  for  by  the  time  he  had  reached 
his  majority  he  .had  taken  up  what  has  since  proved  to 
be  his  life  work. 

A  student  of  human  nature  quickly  notes  in  Mr.  Willey 
a  strong  individuality.  He  is  a  man  of  decidedly  pro- 
nounced characteristics  and  these  are  so  many  that  one 
sees  at  a  glance  that  he  possesses  versatility  of  talent  to 
a  marked  degree.  Of  course,  he  could  not  have  all  these 
traits  and  be  without  that  one  characteristic,  the  posses- 
sion of  which  has  been  the  grandest  power  of  the  New 
Englander  past  and  present  and  known  as  the  initiative. 
It  is  the  initiative  in  the  most  perfect  form  that  makes  the 
most  successful  general,  the  successful  merchant,  the  like 
successful  financier  and  the  leader  among  men.  It  was 
the  possession  of  the  initiative  by  the  men  and  women 
of  New  England  that  led  them  to  seek  the  winning  of  the 
West  and  among  the  people  of  this  section  none  have 
displayed  this  talent  to  a  more  marked  degree  than  those 
of  New  Hampshire. 

It  was  the  initiative  that  led  Mr.  Willey,  when  a  student 
at  Pinkerton  Academy,  Derry,  to  establish  a  school  paper 

498 


STATE  BUILDERS 

and  to  become  its  business  manager,  and  as  long  as  he 
remained  in  its  management  it  was  a  financial  and  literary 
success.  Again,  it  was  the  initiative  that  led  him  to  turn 


A    CENTRAL    SCENE    IN    "  SOLTAIRE."       BY    GEORGE    FRANKLYN 

WILLEY 

to  account  his  ability  in  spare  time  to  accept  the  position 
as  a  reporter  for  a,  Derry  weekly  paper,  an  arrange- 
ment that  ended  in  his  becoming  the  owner  of  the  paper, 
which  he  conducted  so  successfully  that  after  an  owner- 

499 


STATE  BUILDERS 

ship  of  some  eighteen  months  he  sold  it  at  what  was  to 
him  at  the  time  a  great  sum.  Here  as  a  young  man  just 
entering  upon  his  majority  and  but  recently  come  from 
his  mountain  home,  absolutely  without  money  and  with- 
out friends  except  as  he  gained  them  in  the  daily  exten- 
sion of  his  acquaintanceship.  Yet  he  saw  his  oppor- 
tunity, or  rather  let  it  be  said,  as  it  is  the  greater  truth, 
he  made  for  himself  the  opportunity  to  jump  as  it  were 
into  the  possession  of  a  sum  that  made  the  world  look 
larger  to  him  than  ever  before  and  enabled  him  to  take 
a  place  in  the  ranks  of  the  business  men  of  his  community. 
It  was  the  fulfilment  of  that  law  that  labor  and  labor  alone 
develops  a  man's  powers;  and  thus  early  in  his  life  was 
there  an  exemplification  of  the  fact  that  his  labor  was 
well  mannered  and  well  managed. 

With  the  sale  of  his  paper,  Mr.  Willey  found  himself 
free  for  another  venture  in  the  field  of  business  and  enter- 
prise. At  this  point  it  should  be  said  that  up  to  this  time 
he  had  not  the  remotest  thought  of  following  journalism 
as  a  life  work.  Indeed,  he  now  was  and  had  been  for  a 
comparatively  long  while  a  student  in  medicine  and  ere 
he  relinquished  his  studies  had  passed  an  examination 
for  admission  to  the  Dartmouth  Medical  School.  His 
versatility,  however,  prompted  him  to  undertake  the 
preparation  of  what  was  at  first  planned  as  a  pocket 
souvenir  of  the  town  of  Derry.  The  work  grew  far 
beyond  its  original  scope  and  its  full  fruition  was  in  the 
form  of  a  magnificent  volume  comprehending  an  ex- 
haustive history  of  all  that  part  of  New  Hampshire  in 
the  long  ago  known  as  Nutfield  and  first  peopled  by  that 
grand  company  of  men  and  women  called  Scotch-Irish. 
From  a  literary  stand-point  the  book  was  a  success  and 
the  measure  of  this  success  is  becoming  more  marked 
with  the  passing  of  time.  As  a  financial  venture  its 
success  was  something  phenomenal  considering  that 
Mr.  Willey  was  at  the  time  of  its  publication  only 
twenty-five.  It  put  him  in  possession  of  ten  thousand 

500 


STATE  BUILDERS 

dollars  all  his  own  and  al!  gained  by  his  daring  industry 
and  initiative.  He  dared  to  act  where  others  hesitated 
and  .simply  talked. 

It  was  no  run  of  good  luck  that  transformed  Mr. 
Willey  from  the  poor  1>oy  of  twenty  into  the  compar- 
atively rich  man  of  twenty-five.  It  was  pure  business 
acumen  and  perception  and  the  carrying  out  of  these 
qualities  by  industrious  application. 

But  the  initiative  is  at  times  a  quality  that  brings 
disaster  as  well  as  success  and  Mr.  Willey  has  in  the 
story  of  his  short  yet  eventful  life,  one  experience  of  this 
nature,  an  experience  that  in  a  few  brief  months  swept 
away  all  his  previous  earnings  and  other  thousands  that 
were  either  not  his  or  that  he  had  not  earned.  In  1896, 
the  year  of  a  presidential  campaign,  he  entered  the  field 
of  daily  journalism.  His  political  views  were  those  born 
of  principle  and  predilection.  He  was  sincere  in  their 
holding  and  the  wisdom  of  these  political  beliefs  has 
nothing  to  do  with  the  creation  of  this  study  of  his 
career.  One  circumstance  and  another  led  to  the  com- 
plete collapse  of  this  enterprise  of  the  daily  paper  and 
finally  to  Mr.  Willey's  liquidation  in  bankruptcy.  He 
was  at  the  time  twenty-eight  years  old.  In  eight  years 
he  had  started  in  life  and  by  his  own  unaided  self  had 
won  a  fortune  and  lost  it.  But,  Mr.  Willey  in  the  routine 
of  the  daily  paper  did  not  lose  a  solitary  one  of  these 
sterling  characteristics  that  made  up  his  rugged  man- 
hood. He  did  not  lose  any  time  in  repining.  Hope 
sustained  by  a  resolute  will,  a  sound  body  and  clean  mind 
constituted  his  new  and  only  stock  in  trade  in  a  new 
venture  he  had  determined  upon.  Faith  in  the  promise 
that  honest,  well  directed  labor  should  not  go  unre- 
warded, sustained  him  in  his  new  struggle.  The  cold, 
unsympathetic  world  looked  at  him  and  said  that  no 
man  wTith  such  a  handicap  could  succeed.  He  became  the 
owner  of  five  weekly  papers  which  he  had  bought  at  a 
bankrupt  sale,  with  the  city  of  Manchester  as  the  place 


STATE  BUILDERS 

of  their  publication.  Hope,  determination,  courage, 
were  needed  qualities  with  him  in  those  days.  Step  by 
step  his  path  became  brighter  and  smoother  as  the 
barriers  were  turned  away.  Again  did  money  come  to-  his 
command  and  as  it  did  so,  again  did  he  exemplify  the 
stuff  of  which  he  is  made.  In  the  short  time  of  some- 
thing less  than  three  years,  he  paid  to  his  creditors  some 
eighteen  thousand  dollars,  not  one  cent  of  which  was  he 
under  legal  obligation  to  pay.  Such  an  instance  of  moral 
probity  and  commercial  integrity  is  deserving  of  the 
widest  publicity  and  commendation  for  it,  for  it  strength- 
ens one's  belief  that  sincerity  is  not  yet  a  wholly  departed 
trait  of  American  manhood. 

But  it  is  not  alone  this  practical  demonstration  of 
fidelity  to  moral  obligation  that  has  caused  Mr.  Willey 
to  be  much  in  the  "public  eye"  of  late.  In  recent  months 
he  has  become  the  active  head  of  a  corporation  publishing 
forty-one  weekly  newspapers  and  having  a  paid-in  capi- 
talization of  one  hundred  thousand  dollars.  Within  the 
current  year  he  has  made  his  debut  as  an  author  and 
this  debut  is  rich  in  a  promise  of  future  triumphs  along 
their  line. 

As  the  author  of  "  Soltaire,"  a  story  of  the  White 
Mountains,  Mr.  Willey  has  gained  much  immediate 
fame  and  his  fellow  townsmen  are  earnest  in  their  hope 
that  his  present  auspicious  advent  into  the  field  of  litera- 
ture will  not  be  allowed  to-  lapse  on  account  of  business 
exactions,  but  be  followed  up  by  new  creations  of  his 
brain  and  pen. 

"Soltaire"  has  met  with  a  most  flattering  success  and  few 
indeed  are  the  papers  throughout  the  country  that  have 
not  reviewed  it  in  extenso. 

As  a  business  man  and  financier,  Mr.  Willey  has 
gained  a  prominence  that  is  simply  astonishing,  consider- 
ing his  age,  his  opportunities  and  the  obstacles  that  he 
has  had  to  overcome 

Surveying  his  past  and  discerning  his  present,  one  is 

502 


STATE  BUILDERS 

led  to  wonder  what  the  future  has  in  store  for  him. 
The  past  warrants  the  belief  that  he  is  but  on  the  thresh- 
old of  a  magnificent  career. 

Mr.  Willey  has  vast  financial  interests  in  Nome, 
Alaska,  and  is  a  large  holder  of  real  estate  in  his  home 
city  of  Manchester. 

He  was  married  in  December,  1901,  to  Miss  Jennie 
Louise,  daughter  of  the  late  Ira  H.  Adams,  M.  ^D., 
of  Derry. 


5°3 


Price,  $10  New  Edition 

WILLEY'S 

BOOK  OF  NUTFIELD 


A  History  of  That  Part  of  New  Hamp- 
shire Comprised  Within  the  Limits 
of  the  Old  Township  of 
Londonderry 

From  its  Settlement  in  ///<?  to  the  Present  Time 

COMPILED  FROM  ORIGINAL  SOURCES  AND  EDITED  BY 

GEORGE    FRANKLYN   WILLEY 

Biographical,     Genealogical,     Political,     Anecdotal 

ILLUSTRATED  WITH  HALF-TONE 
AND  STEEL  ENGRAVINGS 

New  Hampshire  Publishing  Corporation 

MANCHESTER,  N.  H.      BOSTON,  MASS. 


THE  FIRST  REAL  ROMANCE  OF  THE 
WHITE   MOUNTAINS 

SOLTAIRE 


CLEVELAND   DAILY   WORLD: 

"  Soltaire,"  by  George  Franklyn  Willey,  fully  justifies  its 
title,  for  it  is  a  literary  gem,  a  dramatic  work,  as  fascinating  as 
Washington  Irving's  legends  of  the  Catskill  Mountains. 

NEW  YORK  JOURNAL: 

Among  the  wealth  of  recent  fiction,  one  book  stands  out 
prominently  as  a  work  of  true  merit  and  sublime  fascination. 
This  book  is  a  little,  romance  of  the  White  Mountains,  entitled 
"Soltaire."  There  are  not  many  pages, —  one  wishes  there 
were  many  more, —  and  yet  the  reader  lays  the  book  aside  with 
a  distinct  sigh  of  regret,  in  a  genuine  glow  of  happiness,  and 
with  a  warm  feeling  of  sincere  appreciation  to  the  author, 
George  Franklyn  Willey,  for  a  couple  of  hours  of  pure,  un- 
alloyed enjoyment. 

NEW   YORK   WORLD: 

"  Soltaire  "  is  a  strong,  fresh  romance  of  the  White  Moun- 
tain region.  Mr.  Willey's  story  is  direct,  simple,  and  com- 
pletely interesting. 

This  is  the  first  time  an  author  has  paid  any  special  atten- 
tion to  the  White  Mountains  —  that  region  so  full  of  romance 
and  picturesqueness.  Mr.  Willey  has  not  only  based  his  story 
both  on  White  Mountain  legendary  lore  and  history,  but  makes 
every  page  of  his  book  breathe  the  invigorating  and  inspiring 
atmosphere  of  those  grand  hills,  which  are  aptly  called  the 
"  SWITZERLAND  OF  AMERICA." 

Qr^T   T*  A  TTPT7     A  Romance  of  the  Willey  Slide  in  the  'White  Mountains 
OV^A-»J./\1X\..C*  By  George  Franklyn  Willey 

A  BOOK  FOR  EVERYONE  TO  READ.     PRICE,  SI. 2 5 

New  Hampshire  Publishing  Corporation 

36  MERRIMACK  STREET,  MANCHESTER,  N.  H. 
309  WASHINGTON  STREET,         BOSTON,  MASS. 


Price,  $10  New  Edition 

WILLEY'S 

Semi-Centennial  Book 
of  Manchester 

J846-J896 

And  Manchester  Edition  of  the  Book  of  Nutfield 

Historic  Sketches  of  that  part  of  New 
Hampshire  comprised  within  the  limits 
of  the  Old  Tyng  Township,  Nutfield, 
Harrytown,  Derryfield,  and  Manchester, 
from  the  earliest  settlements  to  the 
present  time. 

BY 

GEORGE    FRANKLYN   WILLEY 


Biographical,       Genealogical,        Political^        Anecdotal 
ILLUSTRATED  WITH  500  ENGRAVINGS 

New  Hampshire  Publishing  Corporation 

MANCHESTER,  N.  H.      BOSTON,  MASS. 


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